Many people experience hair loss. It’s important to know that most people shed about 50 to 100 strands of hair every single day. You may not notice this because it doesn’t usually happen in large clumps. However, you still are losing hair here and there throughout the day. Some people may see more than normal hair loss. This is when it is important to learn the reason behind it. Sometimes, it may be related to just the normal hair growth cycle. However, in some people, a stressful event is all it takes to create a situation where you lose far more than 100 strands per day. This is important to recognize and treat.
Understanding the Normal Hair Growth Cycle
Normal hair growth goes through phases. These phases include three components. Hair grows for a few years. Then, it rests for several months. After this, the hair is shed by the body and then regrows. This is normal. About a third of your hair on your head is always in the resting phase. This phase is called the telogen phase. During that time, your hair is not growing, though it can fall out. Normally, this only lasts for a few months.
When Changes Occur
In some situations, there is a change to this pattern. In telogen effluvium, a condition occurs in which the hairs are pushed out of the hair follicles before they would normally move through the resting phase. As a result, the hair roots push that follicle into the resting state before they should. There are various reasons this can happen, but it can occur in an acute manner, meaning a significant amount of hair is lost at one time, or in a chronic manner, where the process occurs randomly from time to time without any cause.
What Causes This to Happen?
The most common cause of this is some type of stress that impacts the body. Sometimes it called a shock to the system. When this happens, there can be an instance in which the hair roots of up to 70 percent of the scalp are pushed into the telogen phase. This can happen at any time, but it typically occurs about two months after some type of shock happens to the system. Most of the time, when this happens, a significant amount of hair is lost at one time. Some people may experience handfuls of hair falling out when this happens.
There are many things that can create this type of shock to the system. Any time the body is stressed, the hormones circulating within the bloodstream change. A significant change like this can create difficulties for the body to perform its normal functions. As a result, reactions occur. There are some situations that can commonly cause telogen effluvium to occur.
For example, it can happen after childbirth. This happens just because of the sudden change in a person’s hormones creating a drop in hair production. If a person becomes sick, this can also occur. It commonly happens when a person experiences a sudden, significant fever. If you have a severe infection, that can cause it to occur as well. The development of a chronic illness can bring it on. In some people, it can also be brought on after a surgical procedure, or illness happens.
Other situations in which you may experience this include changes to hormone levels. For example, a person who is under a significant amount of mental stress and fatigue may see this change. If you try to remove an entire food group from your diet or try a crash diet, it can also occur. Some people experience it after a change in a medication occurs, which can significantly change the hormone composition. In still other people, their thyroid can be overactive or underactive, creating an imbalance of hormones.
There are some things to be concerned about with this condition. If you notice this type of hair loss, call your doctor right away. He or she needs to know what’s happening and why. In most people, though, once the underlying cause or stressor is removed or improved, the condition can improve. Telogen effluvium does not have to create a lasting impact or any damage to your hair in most cases. To learn more on how to treat telogen effluvium, contact the team at Unique Hair Concepts.
