Is It Stress-Related or Something Else? Understanding Telogen Effluvium Symptoms

Little is more personally distressing to a woman than seeing a pile of her own hair on the drain of the shower. When you’re brushing your hair and more than just the typical few strands break loose, it’s natural to feel a little concerned. 

Or perhaps you’ve noticed the part in your hair looks wider than in the past. You can see a widening gap in your scalp, and when you run your hand through your hair, you end up with a hand full of strands. 

Do not worry. You’re just experiencing Telogen Effluvium symptoms.

Keep reading to learn more about Telogen Effluvium from what it is to how you can treat it. 

The Problem: Telogen Effluvium

We all lose some hair every day. It’s natural to shed a few strands. Your hair is in a constant stage of one of three phases. 

1. Anagen phase: This is the phase where new hair is actively growing. 
2. Catagen phase: In this phase, the hair briefly shrivels up. 
3. Telogen phase: This typically three-to-four-month phase occurs when the hair lies dormant. 

In the case of Telogen Effluvium, your hair follicles lie dormant longer than the typical three to four months. When you lose hair due to stress be it emotional or physical, you’re suffering from Telogen Effluvium. 

Telogen Effluvium is a temporary condition. If you wait long enough and deal with your stress, you will see your hair grow back eventually. 

In the meantime, though, Telogen Effluvium signs and symptoms can, ironically, cause stress. The very same thing that throws your hair follicles into a dormant state can also cause your follicles to stay dormant. 

Causes of Telogen Effluvium

Intense stress has been known to cause Telogen Effluvium. This stress can be something you can control, such as work or family stress, or something you cannot control, like the stress that comes from losing a loved one or the hormonal changes that come with having a baby.

Health changes such as a high fever or extreme sudden weight loss can also cause Telogen Effluvium. If you’ve experienced the emotional stress of divorce or problems with your children, you may notice thinning hair. The stressful event that causes Telogen Effluvium will be longer in duration, lasting two months or more. 

After two months of intense stress, you will notice up to 70% of your hair shedding. The loss is intense.   

Telogen Effluvium Symptoms

When you’ve felt the stress that leads to hair loss, you’ve felt the motherload of stress. Basic life stressors do not cause the intense hair loss that you see with chronic Telogen Effluvium symptoms. You often do not even know you’re experiencing that intense stress until you notice the symptoms of Telogen Effluvium. 

The clearest and most obvious symptom you will first notice is thinning hair. You might notice it first in the shower when there is more hair by the drain than usual. You may also notice it when you clean your hairbrush or when you just casually run your fingers through your hair and a handful of strands fall out. 

The most obvious sign is a widening part or thinning parts on your scalp. 

We all lose some hair. The average adult can lose around 100 hairs daily. Stress will cause more to fall out, though. Individuals with Telogen Effluvium will lose up to 300 hairs a day. 

You also may notice a change in your scalp. It may be more tender and itch more. You’ll notice a change in the sensation of your scalp. 

Hair loss will not just happen on your scalp. You may even notice thinning eyelashes and eyebrows.  

The Solution to Telogen Effluvium

One could easily assume that because stress causes Telogen Effluvium, less stress will cure it. You can do a few purposeful things in addition to removing stress. 

But first, you should consider the cause of stress.

Do you need to change jobs or find a support group? Perhaps you need to up your vitamin take or take a deep breathing and yoga class. 

As you’re considering your stress load, visit a doctor. You may have an iron deficiency that has led to this problem as well, but only a doctor can diagnose this. 

Because intense stress can cause acute Telogen Effluvium symptoms, learning how to cope with the stress will help your symptoms. Exercise, rest, and meditation all can help reduce your stress even if you cannot remove yourself from the situations that have caused you stress, to begin with. 

Diet and Medication

While dealing with your stress can help you in the long term, there are faster treatments. You can begin by eating a hair-healthy diet. Look for foods rich in zinc, vitamin C, and iron. Lean protein, green leafy vegetables, and fruits are your best friends. 

You can also take a supplement like Tricovel. This supplement decreases the temporary loss of hair caused by Telogen Effluvium. It’s been proven to reduce shedding and promote hair growth and volume. 

The delayed-release formula means the tablet form of Tricovel will constantly nourish current hair and then promote the growth of stronger, shinier, and ultimately healthier hair. It combats hair loss and encourages new hair growth. Tricovel also increases hair strength, making for a full and strong head of hair.

Clinical studies have revealed the success of this particular supplement. People who used Tricovel report a 75% decrease in hair loss while showering after 90 days of use, a 57% increase of hair shaft, and a 20% increase of hairs in the growth phase. 

Take Care of Your Hair

Women’s hair is their crown of glory. It’s often how you define yourself. So when it starts to thin, you naturally feel discouraged.

You can combat Telogen Effluvium symptoms with the right response. Less stress combined with the right nutrition and supplements will lead to thicker hair in a short time. 

To learn more about Tricovel, a proven solution for Telogen Effluvium symptoms, contact us.