Telogen Effluvium: Is There a Need for a New Classification

In the 2016 paper, Ralph M. Trüeb reviewed the challenges of diagnosing and treating telogen effluvium, a form of hair loss that can have significant emotional impact, especially in women. The paper emphasized the need for a comprehensive medical approach to determine the cause of hair loss and discussed diagnostic techniques to differentiate between chronic telogen effluvium and androgenetic alopecia. The study included 403 patients (311 females, 92 males), with 17% experiencing trichodynia, a scalp discomfort associated with hair loss. The paper did not advocate for a new classification system but highlighted the relevance of Headington's classification, while acknowledging that the cause of primary chronic diffuse telogen effluvium is still unknown and that the role of neuropeptides like substance P in hair loss conditions warrants further research.