Question for everyone

[kerrydiane]

Does anyone know if you lose new hairs with Telogen Effluvium? My derm diagnosed me with 3 bouts of Telogen Effluvium induced by switching and then stopping BCP's. I have noticed that the majority of hair I am loosing now is all new hair. It is pointed at the ends where it has come through the scalp, and not blunt like my older hairs that I have had cut. I'm not losing that many "old" hairs anymore. Has anyone else noticed this? I would think with Telogen Effluvium, once new hairs grew in you wouldn't lose them again so soon...makes me worry if my diagnoses is really correct!

 

[Guest]

Hi Kerrydiane,

I too was diagnosed with Telogen Effluvium from my derm. I've noticed that a lot of my hair that comes out appear to be newer ones, but I am not really sure if the hairs that I think are regrowth are just miniaturized hair. I've noticed my new hairs look different in the ends than my old hairs. The ends of my new hairs are pointed and slightly wavy, and look thinner than my old hairs. The majority of hair that sheds are my old ones, but I notice quite of bit of shedding of the shorter hairs that I think are regrowth. So you are not alone. As for whether or not we should be loosing our regrowth when we have Telogen Effluvium, I am not really sure.

I would recommend that you get another opinion from a different derm. Both derms that I saw gave me the typical "Oh, you have Telogen Effluvium, it will go away on it's own." (Which it hasn't, I've been shedding for more than 2 and half years now.) I plan on seeing another derm after my financial situation gets better because I think that I might have Alopecia. But for your own peace of mind, please go and get a second opinion and know that you are not alone.

 

[Guest]

Telogen Effluvium (Telogen Effluvium) can cause the shedding of any hair. New or old is pretty much inconsequential. Telogen Effluvium is simply a mass dormancy of hair follicles. Meaning, a larger number of follicles go from growth phase (producing hairs) to resting phase (dormancy). What kind of hair is lost, new, old, sorta old, semi old, slightly old, very old isn't too much of a concern or issue. They will all grow back in after the standard dormancy phase of 3 to 6 months.

One would have to sit down and quantify

1) all of the hairs lost on...
2) hundreds of people's heads for...
3) hundreds of cases of Telogen Effluvium in order to...

...really answer the question "Do new hairs get lost too?" There would have to be a quantifiable study of some sort. Since its pretty much inconsequential, no such study has been done. :hairy:

Laura