Telogen effluvium without thinning is a common hair disorder among women. Medically speaking, it is considered benign because of its temporary nature which does not cause permanent scalp thinning. However, from a psychological standpoint, the fairly abundant loss of hair can be a very difficult experience for some women for whom hair is a fundamental part of their identity. We offer cosmetic and therapeutic solutions to normalize hair loss and stimulate hair growth. We also generally recommend psychological support.


Personne tenant une poignée de cheveux dans ses mains


What is telogenic effluvium without hair loss in women?

If you want to understand what leads to telogen hair loss, you need to know that hair is made up of three types:

  • Anagen hair: this is the hair that grows continuously, accounting for 80 to 90% of the total hair. Their lifespan is six years on average in women.
  • Catagen hair: this is hair whose bulbs have stopped working and which gradually rise up to the middle layer of the capillary dermis. This transition lasts about three weeks.
  • Telogen hair: these dead hairs are gradually expelled from the scalp under the pressure of new anagen hair. Telogen hair falls out after about three months. They account for 10% of the hair mass.
We all normally lose between 50 and 100 hairs a day, but since each dead hair is replaced by a new one, the hair volume does not decrease.
When a subject experiences telogen effluvium, the hair cycle is disrupted and all or part of the telogen hair falls out more or less simultaneously. Hence the unusual amount of hair loss.
While this can be very challenging for the women concerned, it’s important to remember that this is a transitional condition that will resolve itself in three months. The anagen hair must be given enough time to grow back so that the hair regains its original volume.

What causes telogen effluvium in women?

Effluvium telogen is always associated with a triggering factor. The medical examination will attempt to precisely identify this factor.
Among the most frequent factors, we can mention :

  • seasonal changes, especially the arrival of spring and autumn ;
  • emotional shocks (accident, death of a loved one, separation);
  • weight variations, in particular overly strict diets that lead to nutritional deficiencies;
  • and other medical events (surgery with general anesthesia, high fever, infectious disease).

But there are also factors that are specific to women. These factors explain why women are more exposed to this type of hair disorder. Some of these typically feminine factors include :

  • Anything related to maternity (childbirth, miscarriage, abortion);
  • and hormonal changes (stopping estrogen-based birth control pills, menopause, puberty).


Femme avec des cheveux dans les mains

How to recognize a telogen effluvium without thinning in women?

Telogen effluvium without thinning doesn’t cause severe hair loss, which explains why it’s not always easy to recognize.
It can result in a general loss of volume. But, generally, women who suffer from it first notice it when they find hair on their pillow or on their clothes. These are all warning signs. While it’s normal to lose your hair when you brush or wash it, it’s not normal for it to fall out when you don’t handle it.
An important point that distinguishes telogen hair loss from other forms of alopecia: the hair loss is diffuse and light, meaning that it affects the entire head of hair of the patient. The hair doesn’t fall out in clumps. This makes it different from :
  • Telogen effluvium with thinning which can cause massive and/or chronic hair loss;
    baldness on the vertex and the top of the head only;
    and alopecia which causes the loss of all hair, whether anagen, cathagen or telogen.

We recommend that you consult a dermatologist, especially if the situation generates some anxiety.
A dermatologist will perform a complete medical examination to identify the factor that triggered the hair loss and implement a suitable treatment protocol to normalize the hair loss or stimulate hair growth.
In general, a dermatologist can help in three areas:
  • Lifestyle: recommending a recovery plan, as well as a psychological support;
  • Diet: suggesting supplements to make up for any deficiencies;
  • Hair health: prescribing anti-hair loss lotions.

For more serious hair loss cases, a dermatologist may also prescribe a specific treatment to nourish the hair and stimulate blood circulation in the scalp. The basic treatments are:

  • Minoxidil, which is used to improve the scalp’s vascularity, extend the length of the hair cycle and restore the hair’s thickness;
  • Mesotherapy, which consists of injecting vitamins directly into the hair bulb;
  • Microneedling, which involves making micro-perforations in the scalp to stimulate blood circulation;
  • Light therapy, which uses magnetic, infrared and laser energies to strengthen the hair follicles.

A basic treatment lasts between two and three months.


What if the hair loss lasts more than three months?

There may be two reasons for this, either the telogen effluvium trigger factor has not been removed, or the patient suffers from another scalp condition, usually androgenetic alopecia.


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