Telogen Effluvium

Excerpt

Telogen effluvium is a form of nonscarring alopecia characterized by diffuse, often acute hair shedding. Another form that is chronic with a more insidious onset also exists. Telogen effluvium is excessive shedding of resting or telogen hair after some metabolic stress, hormonal changes, or medication. Telogen hair is also known as club hair due to the shape of the root. In a normal healthy person's scalp, about 85% are anagen hair and 15% are telogen hair. Anagen hair are actively growing hair while telogen hair are resting hair. A few hairs may also be in catagen. A hair follicle usually grows anagen hair for almost four years, then rests for about four months. A new anagen hair begins to grow under the resting telogen hair and pushes it out. If there is some kind of stress to the body it can cause 70% of anagen hair to precipitate into the telogen phase thus causing hair loss.