Diffuse Hair Loss – Interruption of Normal Hair Cycle

Diffuse Hair Loss – Interruption of Normal Hair Cycle

There are many causes of diffuse hair loss, including emotional stress, nutritional deficiencies, and endocrine imbalances. In most cases, patient notices excessive hair on the pillow, when brushing or in the shower drain. In most cases women notice it more than men, but it affects both sexes at any age.

Since hair grows in cycles, there are ten to thirty cycles in one lifetime. Diffuse hair shedding is the result of a disruption of one phase of the hair cycle, anagen - active hair growth, catagen – involution, or telogen - resting. The anagen phase can last 2 to 8 years, the catagen phase lasts 4 to 6 weeks, and the telogen phase lasts 2 to 3 months. The phase of the release of dead hair occurs at the end of the telogen phase. The most common type of diffuse shedding is telogen effluvium, in which anagen-phase hair follicles prematurely transition to the telogen phase, resulting in a noticeable increase in hair shedding at the end of the telogen phase 2 to 3 months later. This condition can be a sign of an underlying condition and it should be treated according to that.

Diffuse alopecia can last 6 months, meaning it is acute, if it lasts more than that it means that it’s chronic and in the case that it repeats and lasts long it is chronic repetitive. If a trigger is acute and short-lived, the telogen effluvium will likely be acute and will resolve. In the case that a trigger is ongoing, if repeated or sequential triggers occur, or if a trigger is not reversed, then the telogen hair shedding can be ongoing. Anagen hair shedding is due to the premature termination of anagen hair growth or anagen arrest, after an acute, severe metabolic imbalance.

The first step should be determining if the condition you have is in fact alopecia areta, so you need to provide a detailed history and have physical examination in order to determine the underlying cause that can be the reason for hair shedding. Telogen effluvium can occur 2-4 months after a physiologic stress such as surgical trauma, high fever, chronic systemic illness, and hemorrhage. Hair shedding can be experienced 2 to 4 months after childbirth.

Establishing the relationship between hair loss and emotional stress is not easy and the battle of the patient with this condition is not simple. There have been cases of acute reversible hair loss after a great stress, but it is not certain that the connection between chronic diffuse hair loss and stress can be made. Hair loss can be associated with nutritional imbalances like zinc and iron deficiency. The same result can occur due to severe protein, fatty acid and caloric restriction with chronic starvation and crash dieting. Diffuse telogen hair shedding can be associated with essential fatty acid deficiency, usually few months after inadequate intake. Since Vitamin D is an essential vitamin in cell growth, its deficiency may be associated with diffuse hair loss. For more visit this site .