Telogen Effluvium

Women may experience telogen effluvium approximately four times more often than men, though this is a rough clinical estimate without a confirmed precise statistic. Telogen effluvium is a stress-related form of hair shedding observed more frequently during the pandemic. Telogen effluvium occurs when many follicles enter the resting phase at the same time. Telogen effluvium occurs when many follicles are simultaneously pushed into the resting phase, causing them to shed together rather than independently, producing noticeable diffuse shedding. Visible shedding from telogen effluvium typically appears three to six months after the triggering event, making hair a delayed and frustrating biofeedback system. Telogen effluvium can follow a major stressor after an expected delay. Psycho-emotional stress alone, without physical illness, can shift hair follicles into the telogen resting phase. Women are more susceptible to telogen effluvium in part because their endocrine systems are more finely regulated across life stages, and disruption in one element can spread through multiple systems. COVID-19 was identified as a risk factor for telogen effluvium, with incompletely understood mechani…