Diffuse hair loss is probably one of the most common types of hair loss and it can affect both sexes, regardless the age. Causes or triggers can be a variety of factors from psychological and emotional stress, endocrine imbalances to nutrition and diet deficiencies. Finding the cause is the first step in treating this condition.
What is diffuse hair loss in the first place?
Diffuse hair loss is actually chronic teleogen effluvium, using medical terminology and it means an increased rate of hair fall and hair thinning, from all over the scalp. To treat diffuse hair loss it’s important to have your doctor take you a detailed clinical history to find the underlying cause. How does it happen and who can be affected by this condition? Diffuse hair loss can be noticed when the amount of hair you find on your brush, or pillow, or even in the shower is increasing and hair starts to appear thinner due to this excessive hair loss.
There are two types of diffuse hair loss: regular teleogen effluvium, which is temporary, and chronic telogen effluvium, which can last longer than six months. This condition is also more frequent in women than in men.
What happens in diffuse hair loss?
Hair normally grows in cycles and each hair strand undergoes about 10 to 30 cycles during its lifetime. Diffuse hair loss disrupts one of the phases of this cycle. When hair loss happens in the anagen phase is because hair follicles transition to the telogen phase prematurely. The forced transition can be caused by several factors. Psychological stress like high fever, surgical trauma or chronic systemic illness among others, can cause diffuse hair loss 2-3 months after the stressful event occurred.
It can be present also 204 months after childbirth. Another trigger is emotional stress, although the correlation between the two is difficult to assess. Medical conditions can also cause diffuse hair loss. Hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism are most common medical conditions for diffuse hair loss, however it can be triggered also by human immunodeficiency virus, seborrheic dermatitis, or allergic contact dermatitis, and other inflammatory disorders.
A poor diet in zinc and iron is another trigger for diffuse hair loss, or severe fatty acid, caloric and protein restriction. At the same time, Vitamin D is essential for a healthy hair growth and its deficiency can lead to diffuse hair loss. Use of some drugs and medication can also lead to hair loss. In this case, hair loss occurs about 12 weeks after starting the medication and continues as long as the drug is taken.
Determine the causes of diffuse hair loss
Normal hair loss and hair shedding goes usually unnoticed, while suffering from diffuse hair loss this can increase by 25%. To determine what caused the diffuse hair loss is best to visit a doctor and run some tests. In some cases, it is possible to not identify any trigger. Regrowth after suffering from diffuse hair loss is not visible for 4 to six months.
How is diffuse hair loss treated? First and most important step is to identify the cause and to address it directly.
However, besides this, it’s important to choose your hair products advised to use high quality products, and to avoid shampoos and conditioner that developed completely without Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and Sodium Laureth Sulfate, low-cost detergents linked to irritation, and hair loss due to follicle attack.
Procapil complex, among other ingredients, which can be found also in REKZE Laboratories anti-hair loss products, is a natural compound that proved to be efficient in restoring the optimal conditions of the scalp to be able to support a healthy hair growth, which is also essential, besides any other treatment the doctor may recommend.