In this article, we talk about the following topics related to hair effluvium.
- Effluvium meaning: what is hair effluvium and types of effluvium
- Effluvium Telogen: the characteristics of Telogen Effluvium
- Seasonal hair effluvium: seasonal hair loss duration and causes
- Hair effluvium in anagen and the common causes of anagen effluvium
- Hair loss regrowth: how to promote hair regrowth after the effluvium
Effluvium meaning: what is hair effluvium and types of effluvium
How much hair do we lose on average per day? Is it normal to lose more hair at certain times of the year? What are the main causes of hair loss? Does hair grow back?
All of these questions find their answer in the phenomenon of hair effluvium. In fact, the term "effluvium" is used to indicate an abnormal hair loss. This hair loss is more abundant than usual and can be due to multiple causes. For this reason, it is more correct to speak of "effluvia" in the plural.
Specifically, the main distinction to make when talking about hair effluvium is between the Telogen Effluvium and the Anagen Effluvium. Let’s see in detail the differences to be able to answer in a comprehensive manner to the questions above.
Telogen Effluvium: the characteristics
The first type of hair effluvium is Telogen Effluvium (or Telogen Effluvium). With this expression we refer to an abundant loss of hair in the telogen phase, the hair at the end of the growth cycle. Usually, this is a temporary phenomenon that lasts a short time, until when the follicles produce new hair.
Telogen hair effluvium: the causes
Telogen Effluvium is an acute phenomenon that follows an emotionally important episode. The event can affect up to 80% of the hair, causing the hair to fall after about 12-14 weeks and lasting for a few months. Later, the hair loss stops spontaneously and the hair begins to grow back.
Therefore, one of the main causes of Telogen Effluvium is a strong stress and/or emotional disturbance, even if short-lived. This happens because of the cortisol, the substance that our body produces when it is subjected to a period of excessive stress and that weakens the immune system. As a result, even hair follicles are weaker and prematurely brought to the Telogen stage, when they fall. However, even hair lost because of stress grows back when the level of tension and anxiety begins to lower.
Stress is not the only cause of Telogen Effluvium. Below, the complete list of possible situations that may lead to the hair effluvium in the Telogen phase:
- Medicines and antibiotics
- Chemical factors and metals
- Surgery
- Hormonal factors (hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, hypopitutarism)
- Unbalanced diet and/or vitamin and mineral deficiencies
- Pregnancy and, more frequently, post-partum and breastfeeding
- Aggressive cosmetic treatments
Telogen Effluvium: the differences between acute and chronic effluvium
How long does Telogen Effluvium last? It depends. The Telogen Effluvium, in fact, is divided into two distinct types with different characteristics, causes and duration. In particular, Acute Telogen Effluvium is a hair loss tendentially associated with periods of particular stress. The Chronic Telogen Effluvium is a more moderate, but constant hair loss during time.
Also in the chronic effluvium the hair fall happens to hair in the Telogen phase. This condition most often affects women and the spontaneous failure to resolve the phenomenon can lead to widespread and evident thinning.
In case of chronic effluvium, hair regrowth is linked to the cause that triggered it: only after a careful analysis of the case made by a specialist, it will be possible to identify the cause and the ideal cure to fight it and promote hair regrowth.
Hair effluvium: the seasonal effluvium
Suddenly a lot of hair gets trapped in the brush, you lose it in the shower and on the pillow, it gets between your fingers. Before getting overly alarmed, look at the calendar.
If you are in autumn or spring, it is very likely that it is a physiological seasonal hair loss, also called seasonal effluvium.
The seasonal effluvium is a particular form of telogen effluvium that causes the fall of hundreds, sometimes thousands, of hair per day in particular periods of the year.
What is the duration of seasonal hair loss? What is the hair regrowth time? Generally, it is a physiological and reversible phenomenon that resolves within a few weeks, when hair grows back.
And the causes? Let’s see them together.
Seasonal effluvium: causes of hair loss in autumn and spring
As often happens, the phenomenon of seasonal effluvium is caused by several factors as for example:
- Ancestral heritage of the "moult of hair", a typical phenomenon in the mammals
- Hormonal variations caused by changes in the light and dark cycle
- Influence of climate and sun damages to the hair bulb
Consequently, an excellent habit to prevent seasonal effluvium is to protect yourself from the sun in summer. In winter, instead, the vasoconstriction due to the cold could contribute to the spring fall.
Anagen effluvium: anagen phase short causes and consequences
Sometimes, the stressful event is of such intensity that it does not allow the hair to move to the next stage.
In this case the hair falls during the Anagen phase, that is when it is in the middle of its life cycle. It is an effluvium of many hundreds or thousands of hairs per day, which occurs almost at the same time as the event that caused it. Alopecia areata is the most common clinical manifestation of Anagen Effluvium. However, even the Anagen effluvium is, most of the time, reversible and the lost hair grows back.
Anagen hair effluvium: the common causes
In addition to a strong stress that arises in alopecia areata, the other causes of hair effluvium in the anagen phase are:
- Hereditary genetic predisposition
- Hormonal problems
- Food shortages
- Radiation (X-rays and gamma rays)
- Poisoning and toxic agents
How to grow back the hair lost after the effluvium?
How to make fallen hair grow back? Although the various types of hair effluvium are very different, there are some tricks useful for anyone who is experiencing a scent of hair. The first advice is to take care of your body: this means eliminating stress and taking care of your diet. Only in this way hair regrowth after stress is possible.
Secondly, even if hair dropped due to stress grows back, the use of specific products is essential to regulate the normal cycle of the hair. To grow back the fallen hair, a valuable aid is represented by copper-peptides, which promote the formation of new capillaries around the follicle and repair damage to the scalp.
Kmax Follicle Spray is a copper-peptide lotion designed for specifically: stimulate hair growth, restore the optimal condition of the scalp and promote the formation of thicker and healthier hair.
Stay up to date!
Want to change your hair color? In the next Kmax blog article, we’ll talk about the five trending hair colors in this fall/winter 2020.