To ask if you've had a bad experience with Telogen Effluvium?

[Thelowquietsea]

i've had two bouts only months apart. This time, I'm shocked at how much hair is coming out.

And I'm worried it's going to be really bad this time.

I'm upping my iron as I know I had low ferritin last time - I'm also young but post-menopausal, so possibly hormones playing a part.

But just wondered about whether others had experience regular bouts of this and how bad it got, how long it lasted?

My “bad experience” was that what I thought was TE turned out to be lupus :(. Hopefully you’ve had all the tests done to rule it out! If not, ask for the ANA antibodies panel which is the definite indicator for autoimmunity. I had bouts of hair loss for over 8 years that became increasingly worse, and was always told it was stress (hence TE which is basically unexplained hair loss). At diagnosis I had visible bald patches all over. In my case the hair loss stopped as soon as I started medication for lupus and grew back over the next 4 years.

If it is TE, then you can only try to reduce stress. & increase iron, although that will only prevent future loss as the current one is a delayed reaction from 3months ago. Things which helped me was to learn some hairstyles which are good at hiding hairloss (topknots, buns, sock buns, anything with hairbands & scarves) while the hair grows back. Lots of good tutorials on YouTube. I’d wash my hair in the bath instead of shower as that seems more gentle and prevents more from falling out. Then air dry whenever possible instead of blow drying. Also try to clean up loose hairs from the carpet/floor as often as possible because seeing hair everywhere feels more distressing.

If you search mumsnet there are lots of good threads with tips on pregnancy anemia or post partum hair loss. Lots of those should apply to TE. Good luck!

THanks very much - I'm sorry you've got Lupus. I've never been tested, I don't think, but I did take bloods to a dermatologist a few years back after a long bout - he said I was exceptionally low in ferritin. I took ferrous fumerate for months and it stopped.

Maybe that's the case again. It's difficult to know. It's been more frantic this time.

I feel for you. Don't know if mine was officially TE but certainly hair loss that was incredibly distressing. Like you, my iron was low and I now take iron supplements daily. It did eventually settle down, but my hair seems to want to escape at the slightest provocation! I started HRT but it caused the hair to fall out again, mini pill the same.

My iron level was 11 - the normal range is 11-314 (according to GP) and it now hovers between 65-80 - I read that for optimum hair growth it needs to be over 100.

Good luck and hope you get this sorted, it really is so upsetting.

Have this too but have had alopecia in the past.
I am using the new tangle teezer for fine fragile hair, it is very gentle.
Using my hairdryer on medium heat.
Also using a new shampoo which I think is taking away the limp hair effect, it's called semi di lino energising shampoo.

Thank you! I don't know if HRT does anything to it - i know low ferritin does. I suppose I should take iron all the time. If it's that!

It's so distressing. I really think female hair loss is the last taboo. So common, yet people really don't want to talk openly about it

Wait, I just read about this. So my big hair falls are being triggered by something 2-4m prior? That makes so much more sense now 😯

My thyroid messed up pretty seriously about a year ago and the past 9 months have had major hair loss. I only started treatment about 6 weeks ago. So this should stop within another 4 months hopefully?? Should I be hopeful??

I would be. Coincidentally a family member had hypothyroid and her hair did become thicker on treatment and she got her eyebrows back. It might take you a few months to get the right dose and stabilise your levels but it will be going in the right direction.

I think if you can identify the root cause, and deal with it, the hair will grow back. In fact, in almost all cases the hair grows back with TE (which is essentially an acute bout of hair shedding). But it's just how much hair is lost in the process which is completely demoralising.

Yes. I think mine was a combo of demise of marriage and low ferritin levels. Then I came off the pill and it really accelerated. Went back on the pill 9 months later and it seems to have stopped. My hair tends to get quite knotty so I found having it a few inches shorter helped as well. TE is really demoralising for sure. Some has grown back but still much thinner than it was.

Oh, it's just awful. I've just raked a hand through and even though it's pinned up, a complete tumbleweed of hair came out. I'm sorry about the demise of your marriage.

On a cosmetic level, I find Toppik hair fibres invaluable to fill in the 'bald bits'. I don't work for them! Think there are cheaper options too.