Hairloss due to Stress on the Body’s Physical or Hormonal System - Telogen Effluvium

This is usually a reaction to intense stress on the body's physical or hormonal systems, or as a reaction to medication.

The condition, which can occur at any age, generally begins fairly suddenly and gets better on its own within about six months, although for a few people it can become a chronic problem.

Telogen effluvium is a phenomenon related to the growth cycles of hair.

Hair growth cycles alternate between:
1.A growth phase (called anagen, it lasts about three years)
2.A resting phase (telogen, which lasts about three months).

It is during the telogen phase, the hair remains in the follicle until it is pushed out by the growth of a new hair in the anagen phase.

At any one time, up to about 15 per cent of hairs are in telogen. But a sudden stress on the body can trigger large numbers of hairs to enter the telogen phase at the same time. Then, about three months later, this large number of hairs will be shed. As the new hairs start to grow out, so the density of hair may thicken again.

Many adults have had an episode of telogen effluvium at some point in their lives, reflecting episodes of illness or stress.