Hair Loss (Part1) - Anagen Effluvium, Telogen Effluvium & FPHL
Our hair plays a big part in who we are as a woman, when our hair looks great we feel beautiful and confident. Our hair also reveals hints into our personality. Do you wear your hair in soft waves that frame your face in a romantic look or in a medium-length, no fuss style because you want to look good but have more important things to do with your day than fuss with your hair?
No wonder as women, when we encounter hair loss, it is a devastating life event. Normal shedding of hair is a natural process that happens to everyone, as humans we shed between 50 to 100 hairs daily. We have an amazing body that is constantly replenishing itself, shedding hair is part of a natural balance, hair sheds and new hair grows in. However, when this balance is interrupted for some reason, and more hair falls out than grows in, this is when hair loss happens. The loss of hair is different from hair shedding, the loss of hair is called alopecia.
Think about this, our hair is composed of 120,000 - 150,000 individual hairs! Hair on our scalp grows about .3mm/.4mm per day or 6 inches a year. Our hair grows in bundles inside the follicle with each follicle holding several strands of hair. Unfortunately, as we age, the amount of hairs in these bundles decreases, bundles of 4 become bundles of 3 and bundles of 3 become bundles of 2…and some hair follicles totally stop working.. Hair strands also become thinner and lose their pigment.
Hair Growth Cycle
The four stages of the hair growth cycle are: Anagen, Catagen, Telogen & Exogen
Anagen Phase: This is the “growing phase” and can last from two to eight years;
Catagen Phase: Is the “transition phase”, this is when hair follicles shrink, this phase takes about two to three weeks;
Telogen Phase: Known as the “resting phase” takes about two to four months;
Exogen Phase: “Shedding Phase” of the hair growth cycle. Once the “exogen phase” is complete, the whole process should begin again.
Types of hair loss
Anagen Effluvium
In anagen effluvium hair growth is hindered during the “growing phase” of the hair cycle. If you experience anagen effluvium, a large amount of hair will be lost very quickly as 80% of our hair is in this cycle. Anagen effluvium is due to an acute injury to the hair follicles by an internal or external cause. It happens rapidly and hair loss can occur within a couple of days or a few weeks after exposure to what is causing it.
Cause
A few causes of Anagen Effluvium are:
Chemotherapy can cause anagen effluvium as it stops the process of cell division in the hair;
People affected by the autoimmune disorder, alopecia areata, may also be susceptible to anagen effluvium;
Infection - fungal hair infections or other types of infection on the scalp;
Pemphigus Vulgaris - the antibodies in the body attack the skin cells causing blisters, which can damage the hair follicles even though the hair is in the anagen phase.
If the cause of anagen effluvium is addressed the chances of hair growing back are positive.
Telogen Effluvium
Normally 5-10% of a person’s hair is at the telogen phase. With telogen effluvium, the anagen phase or “growing phase” slows down with only about 30% of hair follicles moving into the telogen phase. The main symptom is the increase in the amount of hair a person sheds.
Causes
The causes of this are either internal or external stress on the body, a few of these stress factors could be:
Severe Stress - prolonged periods of stress can lead to telogen effluvium. This can include internal stress or external stress like surgery or medications. Hair loss will usually occur around 3 months after the stressful event;
Poor Diet - like any other part of your body, hair requires certain nutrients to stay healthy and grow, some of these nutrients are protein, iron, B-vitamins and zinc. If these nutrients are in short supply the quality and quantity of your hair will be affected;
Sudden weight loss - weight loss or severe restriction of calories can cause hair to shed;
Menopause - during menopause there are hormonal changes which may cause telogen effluvium.
Once the cause of telogen effluvium is addressed it can be reversed and within 6 months hair should start growing back.
Telogen Effluvium
Normally 5-10% of a person’s hair is at the telogen phase. With telogen effluvium, the anagen phase or “growing phase” slows down with only about 30% of hair follicles moving into the telogen phase. The main symptom is the increase in the amount of hair a person sheds.
Causes
The causes of this are either internal or external stress on the body, a few of these stress factors could be:
Severe Stress - prolonged periods of stress can lead to telogen effluvium. This can include internal stress or external stress like surgery or medications. Hair loss will usually occur around 3 months after the stressful event;
Poor Diet - like any other part of your body, hair requires certain nutrients to stay healthy and grow, some of these nutrients are protein, iron, B-vitamins and zinc. If these nutrients are in short supply the quality and quantity of your hair will be affected;
Sudden weight loss - weight loss or severe restriction of calories can cause hair to shed;
Menopause - during menopause there are hormonal changes which may cause telogen effluvium.
Once the cause of telogen effluvium is addressed it can be reversed and within 6 months hair should start growing back.
Androgenetic alopecia/female pattern alopecia/female pattern hair loss (FPHL)/baldness
This is the main type of hair loss in women and will be experienced by almost every woman to some degree. In women, gradual thinning usually starts at the part line followed by increasing general hair loss starting from the top of the scalp. A women’s hairline seldom recedes and women rarely become bald.
Cause
Menopause - approximately two thirds of postmenopausal women will experience hair thinning or bald spots;
Genetics - FPHL may be inherited and women with hair loss on either side of their family are at higher chance of experiencing it themselves.
Solutions
What do we as women do if we are going through a journey of hair loss? Our self-confidence may be taking a hit but we are still the same beautiful, strong, magnificent women we were when we had a luscious head of hair.
With anagen and telogen effluvium our hair will probably grow back. With female pattern baldness there are drugs that can be prescribed which won’t make your hair grow back but will halt the process.
While you are walking through your journey of hair loss and hair thinning, there are choices. Do you want to go “au natural” and embrace your natural “this is me” look? Do you love hats or scarves in all sorts of styles and colours? Do you want to invest in a natural hair lace wig or two to recreate your regular hair style, or maybe something totally different? Or maybe a natural hair lace topper if your hair is thinning along the part line?
Remember, you aren’t the only one in this situation, many other women are experiencing the same thing, but when it happens to us it feels very personal. You do have options, choose yours and whatever you choose embrace it and be confident in the woman you are!
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