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Trichtillomania
Telogen effluvium is a usual cause of temporary hair loss because of the severe shedding of telogen hair after a particular trigger causes it. Telogen hair is also referred to by experts as club hair because of the shape of its root. However, telogen effluvium should be differentiated from anagen effluvium, which is hair shedding that is caused by the disruption of anagen hair caused by either drugs and inflammation. Anagen hair is characterized as having a pointy tip.
Both males and females, regardless of age, are susceptible to telogen effluvium. Chronic telogen effluvium that has no clear-cut trigger, is usually found in women between the ages of 30 and 60.
What causes telogen effluvium?
According to research, 85% of the hair follicles that are found on an average person’s scalp are actively growing hair or what is referred to as anagen hair. The remaining 15% on the other hand, is telogen hair.
A few hairs here and there can be catagen hair. A hair follicle normally develops anagen hair for around four years before resting for four months. New anagen hair then starts to sprout up from under the resting telogen hair before eventually pushing it out.
And so, it is perfectly normal for you to lose around 100 hairs of hair each and every day. Whether it is because of your comb or brush or even the type of pillow you are using, you should not be worried since this is part of the average hair cycle of your scalp.
However, in the event that your system receives a shock or a trigger, as much as 70% of the anagen hairs can be turned into telogen, causing a reversal of the normal ratio.
The most common triggers are:
• Childbirth or postpartum hair loss
• Physiological neonatal hair loss
• Severe or chronic illness, especially if a high fever is present
• A surgical procedure
• An accident
• Psychological trauma
• Weight loss, an odd diet, or severe lack of nutrients especially iron
• Ingestion of particular medications
• Endocrine ailments such as hypothyroidism
• Halting the usage of a contraceptive pill
• Jetlag
• A skin disorder that affects the scalp like erythroderma
• Too much exposure to the sun
How will you know that you have telogen effluvium?
The occurrence of telogen effluvium is usually determined through its clinical features. This includes:
• Hair thinning of the entire scalp
• A thorough examination indicates thinning that does not have focal regions of complete alopecia
• A mild hair pull shows a rise in the number of hairs with most of them being telogen with a usual epithelial sac
What can eventually confirm this hair condition is a trichogram. Over 25% of telogen hairs in one can virtually confirm the presence of telogen effluvium. Other means of determining the presence of telogen effluvium is a mild microscopic inspection showing club hair. Most times, a biopsy of the scalp is not necessary.
How can telogen effluvium be treated?
Telogen effluvium can be easily resolved. Here are several ways that you can do that:
• The gentle handling of hair, making sure to not comb vigorously or engage in any kind of scalp massage
• The treatment of any scalp disorder or issues involving your hormones
• The consistent practice of eating a healthy diet that includes a robust volume of fruits and vegetables