Modeling Oxidative Stress-Linked Telogen Effluvium: A Monte Carlo Simulation Using Published Trichoscopy Norms and Cannabis Exposure Distributions

This study used a Monte Carlo simulation to explore the potential link between cannabis exposure and telogen effluvium, a form of diffuse hair shedding, in a synthetic dataset of 140 individuals. The simulation incorporated published trichoscopy norms, national cannabis use statistics, and psychometric data related to hair loss. Results indicated that higher cannabis exposure was associated with increased severity of hair loss symptoms (SAHL scores) and reduced follicular density, with correlation coefficients of 0.31 and -0.38, respectively. These associations were statistically significant even after adjusting for demographic covariates, with stronger effects observed in female-assigned profiles. While the study's findings are based on modeled data and cannot establish causality, they suggest that cannabis exposure may influence hair biology through oxidative stress pathways. The study highlights the potential of computational modeling to generate hypotheses, recommending future research to include empirical biomarkers and clinical data to validate these findings.