Telogen effluvium
From Wigipedia, the free hair encyclopedia
Telogen effluvium is a diffuse, temporary form of hair shedding — not balding in a pattern, but a general thinning all over — that follows some stress to the system. It is one of the most common reasons people suddenly find handfuls of hair in the shower drain.1
The delayed reaction
Every follicle cycles between a long growing phase (anagen) and a resting phase (telogen), after which the old hair is shed. Normally these cycles are out of sync, so you shed a little all the time and never notice.
A significant shock — a high fever, major surgery, childbirth, a crash diet, a new medication, or severe psychological stress — can push an unusually large share of follicles into the resting phase all at once. The catch is the timing: those hairs are not shed immediately. They sit in telogen and fall out together about two to three months later, which is why the shedding so often feels mysteriously disconnected from the event that caused it.1
Why it’s the good kind of hair loss
The follicles are not damaged — they have simply been rushed into a rest break. Once the trigger passes, they re-enter the growth phase, and the hair regrows. Most cases settle within about six months without treatment; the main job is identifying and removing the trigger.1
It is, in a sense, the hair-loss equivalent of a shed that grows back — distressing to watch, but rarely permanent.
See also
- Alopecia (the umbrella term)
- Androgenetic alopecia
- Why hair turns gray