Telogen Affluvium

[Roxan]

I am an MD by profession a 38 years old Indian Asian woman.I am having a chronic loss of hair for almost 3-4 years.In 1996 I did some crash dieting losing 20-30 lbs of wight.I did not experience any problems back then.I started noticing hair fall in 2000.I did not have any major surgery or child birth.I thouhg were under stress of passing my boards(USMLE 3).My eating habbits though are not very great,I tend to skip meals.Suppliment my meals with lots of fruits and vegetabels.i consulted a dermatologist who after runing routine labs(tsh,Iron profile,testosteron leve and basic metabolic panel)considered it to be diet related,and did not think much of it.Now let me explain that woman from my ethinicity usually tend to have very dense volume of hair.I continue to lose hair but doctors dont seem to be convinced.I had done counting of my hair I tend to loose more than 100 on average day.On days when I shower I loose more.I also noticed that when I am under stress my hair just keep falling continusely and back of my shirt gets filled.Is there such a thing as Ch.Telogen affluvium and any treatment for it?Please also indicate if i can read more about this condition in any journals.Thanks

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

Whether chronic telogen effluvium exists is hard to pin down.  Even harder is to know what to recommend: Propecia is both risky and ineffective in women, and Rogaine, while possibly helpful, is very hard to administer long-term, especially when hair is relatively thick.

Diet, stress, hormones, and similar factors in my experience play little role in hair loss, and don't generally contribute to practical approaches for addressing it.

On the positive side, hair loss of your type does not result in baldness, just gradual thinning.  Perhaps you should consider taking Biotin 2.5 mg/day.  This water-soluble B vitamin has been associated with stabilization of hair loss, and is quite safe.  See if three months of that doesn't diminish your daily hair count.

Best.

Dr. Rockoff

[Roxan]

thanks much Dr.