Telogen effluvium is one of the most common hair problems during the COVID-19 pandemic. In recent months, her diagnosis has increased noticeably in both men and women. But what does it consist of and how do you recognize it?

The causes can be multiple: a poor and unbalanced diet that does not sufficiently nourish our hair, certain hormonal changes at specific times, the effects of stress and anxiety on our hair. All these hair loss problems have a specific diagnosis: telogen effluvium.

What is telogen effluvium?

As we have said, it is a hair problem that affects both men and women, and the causes can be very diverse: reaction to a treatment or hormonal change, infection of some kind or period of continuous stress or anxiety, as we said before. Telogen effluvium is due to the fact that many hair follicles that are in what we call the anagen phase (or hair growth phase) suddenly skip this phase and switch to the telogen phase (or hair loss phase) before its time, hence the name: Telogen Effluvium.

Telogen effluvium is not hereditary. Rather, it is one of the ways in which our body reacts to an external factor, such as psychological stress due to the loss of a family member, bereavement, traumatic separation or divorce, poor work or family situation, among others.

Types of Telogen Effluvium

There are two types of effluvium: acute effluvium and chronic effluvium. The first refers to temporary, time-limited, reversible hair loss. It often occurs in young women, although men can also suffer from it. Chronic effluvium, on the other hand, should cause continuous hair loss for at least six months. It is also more common in younger women, although it can occur at an older age.

How does telogen effluvium manifest itself?

The patient usually notices a loss of density of the hair, which begins to lighten in the aforementioned areas.

Stress, one of our hair's worst enemies, is also one of the main causes. When we are stressed, the level of cortisol increases, a hormone released in response to stress that has a negative influence on hair growth. Several studies have shown that it is possible to measure a person's stress level by analyzing their hair, taking as a measure the level of cortisol in their hair over the past few months.

On other occasions, the cause that gives rise to telogen effluvium is more physical: serious illness, significant blood loss, it can also appear after undergoing certain surgical procedures, or as a consequence of acute infections, with high fevers, haemorrhages, as a response to ultraviolet rays or to inadequate diets and foods, etc.

It is also more common at specific periods of hormonal changes (especially in women) such as postpartum, menopause, at the beginning or end of certain hormonal contraceptive treatments, or after taking anticoagulant medications.

What are the symptoms?

One of the signs to recognize it is that it causes profuse hair loss in a short period of time. It is also referred to as "alopecia nervosa", a diffuse hair loss that, if it becomes chronic, ends up affecting the entire scalp.

It is important to consult a dermatologist or hair clinic to make sure it is indeed telogen effluvium or another condition.

Telogen effluvium is often confused with another type of hair problem such as androgenetic alopecia, but there is no real connection between the two. In both cases, it is diffuse hair loss, but while effluvium occurs more suddenly, androgenetic alopecia is slower hair loss. We don't notice it suddenly, but rather we see how, over the years, we lose the density and thickness of our hair. Androgenetic alopecia has a genetic, hereditary cause, which is not the case with effluvium.

In effluvium, there is a premature transition from the hair growth phase to the shedding phase, which causes hair loss. In androgenetic alopecia, on the other hand, it is the male hormones (androgens) that attack and weaken the hair follicle, to the point of killing it, as well as the growth of new hair, and this more slowly.

How long does telogen effluvium last?

The duration of hair loss due to telogen effluvium varies depending on whether it is acute telogen effluvium (over a short period of time) or chronic (lasting up to six months).

In other words, acute telogen effluvium is diffuse, reversible, and abrupt hair loss, unlike androgenic alopecia. Hair loss can be complete in just 12 to 14 weeks. It is a response of the follicle to different types of stress, the intensity of which depends on the severity and duration of the cause. It is the most common hair loss after androgenic alopecia. It usually disappears after 3 to 6 months.

In contrast, in the case of chronic telogen effluvium, hair loss can occur, with small changes, for years or even decades.

How long does it take for hair to grow back after telogen effluvium?

The good news is that telogen effluvium usually has a positive prognosis and hair grows back within a year at the latest if the patient follows the proper treatments. At the beginning of the healing process, you will gradually begin to see short hair.

What should you eat to avoid telogen effluvium?

Severe calorie restriction (caused by a very strict diet to lose weight, for example) or a lack of vitamins and proteins can lead to problems for our hair. They can cause abnormalities in the structure of the hair fiber and in its production. To have healthy and strong hair, a correct diet is essential.

Here are some foods that nutrition experts and dermatologists recommend:

• Nuts, such as walnuts and almonds: they are rich in omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids, vitamin B, vitamin E, magnesium, zinc, etc.

• Eggs: They are an important source of vitamin D, protein, and biotin.

• Oily fish such as salmon, tuna, sardines: they provide protein, vitamin D, omega-3 fats and other components that nourish and stimulate hair growth.

• Iron-rich foods: spinach and other green leafy vegetables, red meat, and oysters that experts say provide an extra dose of iron and zinc to our hair.

Recommendations

The most important thing is to have a good diagnosis and know the cause of the effluvium in order to remedy it as quickly as possible and regain the health of our hair. Treatments will help us, but if we don't get to the root of the problem, the hair will fall out again and we won't have progressed. Prevention, once again, is the antidote to any type of hair problem.