Telogen Effluvium: Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment

    July 2002 in “ Clinical and Experimental Dermatology ”
    Shannon Harrison, Rodney Sinclair
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    TLDR Telogen effluvium is a common type of hair loss that can resolve on its own or become chronic, with treatment depending on early diagnosis.
    In 2002, Harrison and Sinclair described telogen effluvium as a prevalent cause of diffuse hair loss, particularly affecting women, with acute cases often resolving spontaneously and chronic cases persisting for over 6 months. The condition is characterized by excessive shedding of telogen hairs, with common triggers including drugs, thyroid disease, and childbirth, although sometimes no cause is identified. Diagnosis is based on patient history, clinical examination, and sometimes scalp biopsy, which helps differentiate chronic telogen effluvium from androgenetic alopecia by showing a normal anagen:telogen ratio without follicle miniaturization. While acute telogen effluvium is usually temporary, chronic telogen effluvium's course is less clear, and some cases may later be reclassified as androgenetic alopecia. Treatment approaches vary, with early diagnosis crucial for managing androgenetic alopecia effectively.
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      If You Have DUPA, PLEASE READ THIS: Everyone Should Be Scalp Biopsied

      community If You Have DUPA, PLEASE READ THIS: Everyone Should Be Scalp Biopsied

      in Research  830 upvotes 8 months ago
      Scalp biopsies are crucial for diagnosing hair loss conditions like Diffuse Unpatterned Alopecia (DUPA) and retrograde hair loss, as treatments like finasteride and dutasteride may not be effective if other conditions are present. Combining PPAR-GAMMA agonists with retinoids could improve treatments for conditions like Lichen Planopilaris.

      community I am a dermatologist with a clinical interest in alopecia. AMA

      in Will treatment work for me? 2 years ago
      In this conversation, 4990 discussed various treatments for hair loss, including oral minoxidil, PRP, transplan, Jak inhibitors, Dutasteride, Finasteride, Olumiant, Ketoconazole, RU58841, microneedling, baricitinib, and CCCA. They recommended scalp biopsies in unclear cases of DUPA, twice weekly to twice daily shampooing for topical minoxidil users, and two sessions spaced one month apart with follow up at month three to determine the effectiveness of PRP treatment.

      community 1ish year on fin and no improvement

      in Is this regrowth?  87 upvotes 6 months ago
      The user has been using finasteride for over a year without improvement and recently started oral minoxidil. Suggestions include trying dutasteride and continuing minoxidil for potential regrowth.

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