I recently heard from a woman who asked me if it was possible that her hair shedding and loss (which she attributed to telogen effluvium or TE) could end up being permanent. This had been going on for over a year with no signs of slowing down. Also, she hadn’t seen much growth, if any. She then wondered if it was possible to have an ET that never ended or stopped since this seemed to be what was happening to her. I will tell you what I told him in the next article.
TE or CTE: There is a big difference in terms of time: By definition, any outbreak of ET usually appears suddenly and is characterized by the loss of large amounts of hair at once over the course of weeks or months. This condition is somewhat common and is caused by anything that can cause the hair follicles to react by changing from the growing or resting phase to the shedding phase. This usually occurs due to some kind of shock or stress on your body. It can be caused by illness, hormonal changes, medications, surgery, starvation or severe dieting, and severe stress.
In many cases, the follicles reset and return to normal within a few months. When this happens, the shedding will usually slow and eventually stop, and then healthy growth will follow. However, sometimes whatever the “trigger” was that started the TE, it continues or starts over. Sometimes the original trigger is replaced with another. Or at other times, hair loss treatment has caused some hormonal changes that start another round of hair loss.
In these cases, you can progress to what is called CTE or chronic telogen effluvium and this can last much longer than a few weeks or months. I have seen situations where it lasts as long as a few years. I’ve also read about someone who had it for 72 months or six years, though I definitely have to think this is the exception rather than the rule. Even in this long-term case, the person eventually recovered. And, if what he really has is TE, the final recovery is what is supposed to happen.
If your shedding appears to be permanent, look for other possible causes: As I mentioned, by definition, telogen effluvium is a change in hair cycles that resets once the trigger is removed and cycles return to normal. And with this condition, there is no damage to the scalp and hair. Once the follicles are back in growth mode, everything should go back to what was typical for you. If this doesn’t happen, you may want to consider that your hair loss is due to something else.
There are autoimmune problems in which the follicle is continuously attacked. The result is that while this process continues, shedding does not stop and the hair cannot grow back properly. AGA or Androgenic Alopecia is the most common possibility, as many experts believe that up to 95% of hair loss cases have androgens as the main contributing factor. With both autoimmune and androgen issues, your follicles are continually being attacked and negatively affected, and if left untreated, they will have a hard time recovering and growing back the way you would like. There are other medical issues that can also negatively affect your hair for long periods of time.
The person who sent the email was treating her shedding as a condition that didn’t really need treatment as she hoped it would resolve on its own. But, she failed to see any new growth which, in my non-expert opinion, she should have seen after a whole year. So, I really thought she wouldn’t hurt to look at other potential options. Sure ETC was possible, but the lack of a real or healthy regrowth was a concern. I am by no means an expert, but in my experience, with TE, you will see new growth within a few months, as the scalp should show no damage.
