Telogen Effluvium: Is Your Hair Going Down the Drain, Literally?

Anywhere from one to four months after an extremely stressful event or shock to your system, you may start to notice significantly more hair in the shower drain or in your hairbrush, or that your hair is suddenly “coming out by the handfuls.”

Why does this happen?

When the body experiences a dramatic shock, an increased number of hair follicles may prematurely enter the resting (telogen) stage, as the body conserves energy for more vital needs. This can occur after a surgery, illness, high fever or infection, loss of a loved one, drastic weight loss, certain medications, or dramatic hormonal fluctuations such as pregnancy/postpartum. When the follicles then reenter their growth phase in the following weeks and months, the old hair is naturally shed. Because of the higher-than-normal proportion of follicles entering the growth phase all at the same time, though, more noticeable shedding is evident. This type of hair loss is called telogen effluvium.

Though recovery can take a few months, hair will typically fully regrow once the stressful situation has resolved. Treatment is not usually necessary other than supportive measures such as a healthy diet and a daily supplement that provides a wide array of natural, hair-healthy nutrients!

In subsequent posts we'll take a look at other common causes of hair loss in women. The good news? Hair Essentials can help with all of them! To learn more about how Hair Essentials helps combat hair loss and nourish healthy new hair growth, visit: http://www.hairessentials.com/