Hair shedding has become a widespread issue that troubles a large number of people today. However, the root cause of hair fall is rarely the same for everyone, making it essential to first identify why your locks are breaking. To simplify this, dermatologist Aanchal Panth has outlined a specific method to evaluate the situation. You need to carefully observe your hair fall pattern, meaning you should take note of when and how your strands are breaking the most. This approach helps accurately determine the exact trigger behind the hair loss and provides a clearer picture of the chances of hair regrowth.
Telogen Effluvium
One common condition is telogen effluvium, which involves sudden and excessive hair shedding. Observations show that hair fall in this condition usually starts two to three months after a specific trigger occurs in the body. Frequently, severe hair shedding follows a high fever or illness, immense stress, rapid weight loss, nutritional deficiencies, a major surgery, or childbirth. In the beginning stages, the overall density of the hair on the scalp does not drop drastically. Instead, the hair sheds evenly across the entire head rather than from a single localized spot. Once the underlying trigger is resolved, the hair typically returns and begins to grow back on its own.
Female Pattern Hair Loss
If your strands are thinning gradually and continuously rather than all at once, you might be dealing with a different issue. In this condition, the hair on the top of the head and around the middle parting becomes noticeably sparse over time. As days pass, the hair parting begins to widen, and the thickness of individual strands keeps decreasing, leaving them very fine. This points towards female hair loss. Leaving this unmanaged can severely diminish hair density, but timely medical intervention can help keep it under control.
Diffuse Alopecia Areata
This condition also involves sudden hair shedding across the entire scalp, making it look quite similar to telogen effluvium. While all the hair on the head can thin out, it is not always accompanied by distinct round bald patches. Some individuals might notice short, broken hairs or strands that taper down at one end. A precise diagnosis requires a thorough physical examination of the scalp and hair by a medical professional, and occasionally, a tool like dermoscopy may also be required.
Can Hair Grow Back After Shedding?
When hair starts falling out suddenly, the chances of getting those strands back are usually much better because the hair roots have not been completely damaged yet. On the other hand, if your hair has been thinning slowly over several years, especially with a continuous decline in strand thickness, simply stopping the shedding might not be enough. Restoring your previous hair density in such chronic cases can prove quite challenging. This makes understanding the exact timing and pattern of your hair loss crucial so that corrective steps can be taken early on.
