Telogen Effluvium: A Clinically Useful Concept, With Traction Alopecia as an Example

    April 1978 in “ PubMed ”
    Steck Wd
    Image of study
    TLDR The study concludes that traction alopecia, caused by hair styling, can help understand telogen effluvium, a condition of excessive hair loss.
    The 1978 study by W.D. Steck discussed Telogen effluvium, a condition characterized by excessive loss of normal club hairs. This condition could be diagnosed through microscopic examination of the shed hairs, which have uniform shaft diameter and normally shaped, pigment-free bulbs. The causes of Telogen effluvium were identified as childbirth, febrile illness, surgical operations and anesthesia, anticoagulant drugs, psychological stress, crash diets, and traction. The study also discussed traction alopecia, a type of hair loss often resulting from certain hair styling practices like braids, rollers, and ponytails. Traction alopecia was usually not accompanied by inflammatory changes and had an excellent prognosis if the causative styling practices were discontinued. The study suggested that traction alopecia could serve as a model for studying telogen conversion, which may be caused by interference with papillary blood flow.
    Discuss this study in the Community →

    Related Community Posts Join

    6 / 419 results

      community Anyone here in the 0% like me?

      in Finasteride/Dutasteride  43 upvotes 9 months ago
      The user has tried topical minoxidil, oral minoxidil, finasteride, RU58841, and dermapen for over a year without seeing hair regrowth and has now switched to dutasteride, planning to continue until summer. Some responses suggest that no further hair loss could be considered progress, question the visibility of hair loss, and recommend trying vitamin D.

      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 C’est terrible - at my wits end

      in Female  449 upvotes 1 year ago
      A 29-year-old woman is experiencing gradual hair thinning since age 15, suspects Androgenic Alopecia, and has tried 5% minoxidil with little success. She has purchased various hair loss treatments including minoxidil, dutasteride, finasteride, and spironolactone, but is cautious about starting them due to potential interactions with her ADHD medication.

      community 2 months on Fin - 25 years with my story

      in Progress Pictures  24 upvotes 3 years ago
      A user shared their hair loss journey, starting with minoxidil and later switching to finasteride due to dissatisfaction with minoxidil. They experienced some regrowth and shedding, with mild side effects from finasteride, and are hopeful for future improvements.

      community 4 months minox + fin +microneedling

      in Progress Pictures  331 upvotes 2 years ago
      A user's progress with treating hair loss, using minoxidil, finasteride and microneedling. The user experienced impressive results after four months of treatment, and mentioned that stopping recreational drugs and losing weight helped their hair regrowth.

    Related Research

    1 / 1 results