Overview

On an average person's head, between 85% and 90% of the hairs are actively growing (the anagen phase) at any given time, with the remaining hairs resting (the telogen phase). The life cycle of hair includes a period of two to four years in the anagen phase, followed by a resting phase (telogen phase) lasting two to four months, and finally, hair loss followed by fresh hair growth. 

About 100 hairs normally fall out of an average individual per day. More hairs enter the telogen phase in a person with telogen effluvium due to a bodily alteration or trauma. About 30% of the hairs in this situation usually stop growing and enter the resting phase before falling out. Consequently, you can lose 300 hairs on average every day rather than 100 if you have telogen effluvium.

Causes

Several distinct events might cause telogen effluvium, including,

• Surgery on the scalp  

• Severe physical injury 

• Significant emotional stress

• Intense fever

• Serious infection or other disease 

• Drastic reduction in weight 

• Abrupt hormonal changes, such as those brought on by childbirth and menopause 

• Severe dietary changes 

• Lack of iron 

• Certain drugs 

• Several illnesses have been linked to telogen effluvium. Being either hyperthyroid or hypothyroid, Malaria, Tuberculosis, Typhoid, HIV

Symptoms

• Telogen effluvium can cause you to lose between 30% and 50% of your hair.

• More hair than normal will accumulate on your pillowcase, on the floor of the shower or bathroom, and in your hairbrush if you have telogen effluvium. 

• The density of your scalp hair may appear or feel lower than usual. However, most hair loss is mild, so you might not even notice that your hair has changed.

Ayurvedic View

Khalitya - kesha (hair) is considered as mala (waste part but serving an important function in the body) of asthi dhatu (bony tissue). Due to pitta dosha and vata dosha aggravation because of the following factors that cause its aggravation and a few situations of long-term stress or illness in the body, results in kesha patana (falling of hairs) from the scalp, this is telogen effluvium. Ayurveda way of healing is to bring dosha back to prakruta awastha (balance state) by adopting panchakarma treatment, providing required nutrition in a healthy way to improve the sapta dhatus (body tissues, cells) so that hair is nourished and ensure regrowth of hair follicles and prevent kesha patana (hair fall).