Diffuse hair loss
or Telogen Effluvium, may be caused by a number of problems. It usually affects women and it is not known what percentage of the population suffer from this disorder, specialists tend to agree that it is so wide spread it has become 'normal' to have thinning hair.
Quick onset (acute) diffuse hair loss can be caused by Pregnancy, medication, a physical or emotional shock to the system, an illness, fever and narcotics. Chronic (ongoing) diffuse hair loss is caused by a systemic problem like : Low iron or zinc levels, endocrine disorders, medication (again), HRT or oral contraceptive's and diabetes. The main problem with the chronic hair loss is that the trigger which initially caused the diffuse (all over) hair shedding may have happened ten or even twenty years ago, so this person has just noticed because it has got to the point of being very noticeable or has just shrugged her shoulders and said 'it's just natural'!!.
Sufferers from both types notice a thinning of hair on the scalp (especially on the top), and little 'broken' hairs around the fringe and poking out around the parting (if you have one), these hairs are not broken but are new hairs growing. The excess hair shedding is not natural and what I mean by excessive shedding is over 100 hairs per day, this is the normal amount which a person looses naturally every day.
People with diffuse hair loss basically have suffered a jolt to the system, which could be one of the problems outlined above. This in turn affects the ratio of hairs growing to hairs falling out, usually the normal ratio is 10 to 1 (that is ten hairs growing to 1 falling out, and while we are on the subject hair does not fall out per-say, it is actually pushed out by a new hair from underneath!) With diffuse hair loss the ratio is changed from 10 to 1 to about 9 to 2 or 8 to 3, now this does not sound to drastic but over time between one and two tenths of the volume of the hair will be lost over the entire head. This hair which is 'lost' actually isn't lost at all, it's just that it is coming through at a slower rate. Chronic Telogen effluvium is a problem which will carry on indefinitely until the problem is rectified so it is important to seek help as soon as possible, Women who suffer from telogen effluvium do not go bald!! It gets so bad and stays at that level, a person does not lose all their hair from this problem because the hair is always being replaced. If you have a reason to think you are suffering with the above condition please contact myself your GP or follow the links to the Institute of Trichologists to find your nearest Qualified Trichologist*.
* Hair specialist