Hair Loss After Stress or Illness - Telogen Effluvium Treatment
Three months ago, something happened. Illness. Surgery. Extreme stress. Crash diet. Childbirth. COVID.
Now your hair is falling out by the handful. More hair in your brush than on your head, or so it feels. This is not gradual thinning. This is alarming, sudden, excessive shedding.
You probably have telogen effluvium. And while it is frightening, it is usually temporary.
Understanding Telogen Effluvium
Your hair grows in cycles. Most hairs are in the growth phase (anagen) lasting years. A small percentage are in the shedding phase (telogen) at any time, which is why you normally lose 50 to 100 hairs daily.
Telogen effluvium occurs when a shock to the system pushes large numbers of hairs into the shedding phase simultaneously. Two to three months later, they all fall out together.
The result is dramatic, diffuse shedding. Not patches like alopecia areata. Not pattern thinning like androgenetic hair loss. Just hair falling out everywhere.
Common triggers include severe illness or high fever (including COVID-19), major surgery, significant emotional stress, crash dieting or nutritional deficiency, childbirth (postpartum hair loss), starting or stopping medications, and thyroid disorders.
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The Good News
Telogen effluvium is usually temporary. Once the trigger resolves, hair cycles normalise. The shed hairs are replaced by new growth.
Recovery typically takes six to twelve months. You will notice shedding slow, then baby hairs appearing, then gradual fullness returning.
The hair you are losing was already destined to fall. It was pushed into shedding phase months ago. You are not losing your ability to grow hair. You are experiencing delayed fallout from a past event.
When Telogen Effluvium Becomes Chronic
Sometimes telogen effluvium does not resolve. Chronic telogen effluvium involves prolonged shedding lasting more than six months.
This can occur when the underlying trigger persists (ongoing stress, undiagnosed thyroid problem, continuing nutritional deficiency), when multiple triggers occur sequentially, or sometimes for unclear reasons.
Chronic telogen effluvium needs investigation and treatment rather than just waiting.
Treating Telogen Effluvium
Identify and address triggers. If nutritional deficiency, correct it. If thyroid dysfunction, treat it. If ongoing stress, address it. Blood tests help identify treatable causes.
Nutritional optimisation. Even without frank deficiency, ensuring optimal nutrition supports recovery. Protein, iron, zinc, vitamin D, and B vitamins all matter for hair.
Nutrafol provides comprehensive hair nutrition plus adaptogens that help regulate the stress response contributing to telogen effluvium. It addresses recovery from the inside.
PRP therapy can accelerate recovery by stimulating follicles to return to active growth phase. It is particularly helpful for chronic telogen effluvium or when you want to speed recovery.
Minoxidil may help by prolonging growth phase and stimulating follicles.
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Hair Loss After COVID
COVID-19 has caused a wave of telogen effluvium cases. The illness itself triggers shedding. The stress of being ill contributes. Some people experience prolonged shedding as part of long COVID.
If you are losing hair after COVID, you are not alone. The pattern typically follows standard telogen effluvium timeline, with shedding peaking two to three months after illness and recovery over subsequent months.
Treatment approaches are the same as other telogen effluvium causes.
What to Expect From Recovery
Shedding typically slows before it stops. You will notice fewer hairs falling before you notice regrowth.
New growth appears as baby hairs, often along the hairline and parting. These short, fine hairs are encouraging even though they can be frustrating cosmetically.
Full recovery to pre-shedding density can take 12 to 18 months. Patience is required.
If shedding continues beyond six months without improvement, or if you are developing visible thinning, seek assessment for chronic telogen effluvium or underlying pattern hair loss.
Coping While You Wait
Watching your hair fall out is distressing even when you know it is temporary.
Gentle hair handling reduces additional breakage. Avoid tight styles, excessive heat, and harsh treatments.
Volumising products and strategic styling can help hair appear fuller while you wait for recovery.
Consider scalp micropigmentation or hair fibres for temporary cosmetic improvement if thinning is visible.
Address any anxiety or depression the hair loss is causing. This is a legitimate emotional impact deserving support.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if it is telogen effluvium or permanent hair loss? Telogen effluvium causes diffuse shedding usually following identifiable trigger. Pattern hair loss causes gradual thinning in characteristic locations. Assessment can distinguish them.
Will all my hair grow back? In typical telogen effluvium, yes. Hair follicles are not damaged, just temporarily disrupted. Underlying pattern hair loss may be revealed if it was masked by fuller hair before.
Should I wait or seek treatment? For acute telogen effluvium with clear trigger, waiting three to six months is reasonable. If no improvement by six months, seek assessment. If chronic or no clear trigger, earlier assessment makes sense.
Can telogen effluvium happen more than once? Yes. Each significant stressor can trigger an episode. Some people are more prone than others.
Will PRP help acute telogen effluvium? It can accelerate recovery. Whether to treat depends on how distressing the shedding is versus cost and commitment of treatment.
Your hair will recover. Treatment can help it happen faster.
