Nonscarring Diffuse Hair Loss in Women: A Clinico-Etiological Study from a Tertiary Care Center in North-West India

May 2018 in “ Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology ”

Kavita Poonia, Gurvinder P. Thami, Mala Bhalla, Shivani Jaiswal, Jasleen Sandhu

nonscarring diffuse hair loss chronic telogen effluvium female pattern hair loss acute telogen effluvium psychological stress low hemoglobin serum ferritin deficiency vitamin B12 deficiency vitamin D3 deficiency subclinical hypothyroidism DHL CTE FPHL ATE stress low iron low vitamin B12 low vitamin D3 mild hypothyroidism

TLDR Most women in the study lost hair due to chronic shedding, with stress and nutrient deficiencies being common factors.

The study focused on 100 Indian women with nonscarring diffuse hair loss (DHL) and found that chronic telogen effluvium (CTE) was the most common type, affecting 62% of participants, followed by female pattern hair loss (FPHL) at 22%, and acute telogen effluvium (ATE) at 16%. The majority of hair loss cases occurred in the 21-40 year age group. Psychological stress, low hemoglobin levels, and deficiencies in serum ferritin, vitamin B12, and vitamin D3 were prevalent among the participants. Subclinical hypothyroidism was also observed in 11% of cases. The study concluded that DHL is multifactorial and that supplementation of the deficient nutrients may be beneficial for hair regrowth.

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