| Telogen Effluvium
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Introduction
Growth, development and maturation are events which mark the progress of any living being taking birth on this earth. Everything which occurs in our nature seems to follow a specified pattern of growth. A whole human being develops from a single zygote; a whole plant develops from a single seed. The essential point to notice in this case is that every growth and development occurs in pre-determined stages. An infant develops into a child, a child into an adolescent, an adolescent into an adult and finally a complete man! Surprisingly, when he is growing up, his entire body is following him. That is every organ, every tissue and every cell is multiplying and growing larger with time. And for that matter, even hair is not spared. Our Hair has its own growth cycle. And like other parts of the body, even hair growth is influenced by numerous factors.
An Overview
When certain imbalances occur in a normal growth cycle, symptoms of hair loss start manifesting. And one such condition is “TELOGEN EFFLUVIUM”. This variant of hair loss is usually seen more commonly after 35-40 years. As the name suggests telogen [resting phase] and effluvium [an out flowing or shedding], it means acute or chronic onset hair shedding in a pattern which is not concentrated, widely spread without any scars. Exact cause behind telogen effluvium is not known. But stressful environment, metabolic upsets, endocrinal changes, overmedication are seen to contribute significantly to the outbreak of TELOGEN EFFLUVIUM. This condition can inflict both the sexes equally. It can occur at any age. Soon hair fall starts occurring at an increased rate. Hair becomes less dense and comes off easily from the scalp. This entity is a cause of great concern, especially in the female population due to their increased predisposition to the hormonal changes especially during pregnancy.
Medical Facts
Medically speaking, there are two important phases in the hair growth cycle, Anagen [growth phase] and telogen [resting phase]. Normally, very small percentage of hair is in the resting phase and maximum hair is in growth phase. But in case of telogen effluvium, a reverse trend is observed. That is, a higher percentage of hair enters into resting phase. As a result, hair shedding takes place till new anagen cycle begins. This event is stimulated by physiological, psychological or environmental factors as per evidence. Recent studies have shown that the shedding of hair in telogen effluvium is not dependent on the anagen cycle. If the hair shedding continues for more than 5-6 months, then the telogen effluvium is considered to be belonging to the chronic variety.
Diagnosis
The question to ponder upon is, how can a person realize that he is suffering from telogen effluvium? Increased hair loss can be seen in many other conditions. But certain distinguishing attributes like diffuse hair shedding, non concentrated spread, absence of scarring, decrease in density of scalp hair, increased hair fall etc definitely point towards the diagnosis of telogen effluvium. Other important parameters are, increase in number of short new hair which is growing. Also, percentage of hair in telogen phase shows an upward trend. However, an important thing to be kept in mind at this stage is that such a subtle variation could well be a normal phenomenon. It could just be a part of a normal hair growth cycle for a particular individual. Therefore, stress has to be given in each case for an accurate history. And history can only be the surest guide to the correct diagnosis of telogen effluvium.
Certain predisposing causes for TELOGEN EFFLUVIUM are listed below:-
1] Hormonal changes [pregnancy, consumption of OC PILLS, any endocrinal disorder like Cushing’s disease, Addison’s disease, hypothyroidism]
2] Dietary changes [excessive dieting or overeating, decreased intake of essential nutrients like proteins, vitamins, minerals]
4] Mental stress and strain
5] Bad effects of vaccination
6] Incidences of great physical trauma or injury like accidents
7] Chronic long standing illness due to any reason [terminal conditions like cancers, malignancies, diabetes, fevers]
8] Medications [either due to direct or indirect contact]
9] Connective tissue disorders
Cure
Since telogen effluvium is concerned with the changes occurring at the genetic level [telogen and anagen phase], no sure cure has been discovered for the same. In most of the cases, it is seen to be a self limiting disorder. There is ample scope for improvement and cure in certain allied sciences like homoeopathy and ayurveda. A great philosopher has said, “Disease does not exist in man, but man exists in disease”. In simple words, there can be no exteriorization of illness without an internal state of disharmony. So try to build internal harmony [meditations, yoga, and adequate rest, learning to cope with stress] and you won’t need a doctor to cure any ailment for life.
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