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Telogen Effluvium and Other Effluviums
Hair follicles don’t continuously produce hair because hair goes through a 2 year growth cycle. For 2 months, some of your hair doesn’t grow because it’s dormant. Aaron Marino of alpha m. says that the resting stage is called telogen.
Telogen Effluvium (TE) is the most common form of non-genetic hair loss in men. TE happens when more hair is dormant than the typical 20%. It happens more on the top of the head and doesn’t affect the hairline.
A test is available to detect TE: take a pinch of hair and tug. How many hairs were pulled out? 3 -7 indicates some degree of TE. Regular hair washing is necessary for an effective TE test. TE typically comes along very quickly or very slowly. Stress (car accident, surgery, living in a constant state of stress), some medications (antidepressants), and poor diet (deficiencies in zinc, iron, b-vitamins) bring on TE. Autoimmune and thyroid issues may also be causing hair loss.
