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themunchkinking
03-09-2009, 03:30 AM
Hi
just my story about te really, its quite long winded... i wrote the first part just after christmas

I’m male and I’m 24, i go to the gym regularly and eat a healthy high protien diet. I’ve had a ****ty time over the past year stressing about my career. In early July I split up with my girlfriend of 5 yrs. However over the summer my hair was in great condition and thick (I’ve always had a sort of mid-length Indy kid-ish hair cut). I had receded slightly at my temples but it really was’nt anything and not an issue at all as I’d always had quite a high hairline anyway.

In late September I came back from a short holiday and started noticing a bit of hair falling out when I ran my hands through my hair, more then I would usually. I just figured it'd pass (this had happened before occasionally and lasted only a day or so)but it didn’t. It started to worry me as it got worse. At this time I was having and incredibly stressful time at work (working rediculus hours in a pub) and in my personal life. I got really stressed and fatigueed and literally one day I fell in to a depression where I was constantly tired and just wanted to hide under my bed covers while my brain went into overdrive. I went to the doctors about my stress and my hair but he just fobbed me off (twat) and just suggested I cut my hair shorter. During this period of stress my hair seemed to change texture… it got greasy really quickly, looked dull, unhealthy and I couldn’t do anything with it.

I decided to escape to see if some time out to collect my thoughts would help so I went to Australia for 7 weeks. This was cool, I had fun but at the same time my hair issues (and personal issues) were still at the back (and front of my mind) and quite overshadowed the trip. About 2 months in from the start of my hair loss things were getting quite intense with my shedding. There would usually be 20 or more hairs on the pillow when I woke, then lots would come out every time I brushed my hair (up to 50 at the worst times) and even just touching my hair lightly hair would fall out. The bathroom was covered in my hair...it was horrible and my hair was starting to feel thinner.

My time in oz soon passed with my paranoia growing but I returned home just before Christmas. I visited a trichologist who told me that I had telogen effluvium (maybe caused by the stress of my break up...the only other trigger i could think of was that i had been takeing a course of tribulus...a mild natural testosterone booster to help with the gym which lasted for about three months and i had finished 2 weeks before i started to shed). He noticed new hairs growing and confidently told me that my hair would recover. This was a confidence boost and over Christmas I got a haircut and was almost looking alright.

However, just over 4 months in and my hair was feeling incredibly bedraggled and starting to look a bit moth eaten. it felt in really bad condition...when I washed it felt dead and dry but then the following day it gets greasy and sometimes I had an itchy scalp and a bit of dandruff. I had to wash it everyother day whereas before I only did once or twice a week and it didn’t matter. The worst part however is my hairline. The receding at the tempols seems like its got worse to the point where i cant cant have the same haircut i allways had (i have hair just past my eyeline which i styled in a indie(ish) side parting)

Over the past 4 months my confidence and self esteem has dwindled so dramatically, I don’t feel like I’m the same person I was. The shedding has slowed quite a bit from its height but I’m worried that permanent damage has been done. I just can’t get my head around how quickly things can go to **** really. 5 months ago I was confident, my hair was looking good and healthy.

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just an update…I wrote this over a month ago since then I saw a dermatologist about my itchy scalp and she diagnosed that I had seborrhoeic dermatitis coupled with my telogen effluvium..lucky me. Although as I write the shedding over the last couple of days seems to have lessened…the week prior to this I went through another really heavy bout of shedding which is really frustrating. To combat the dermatitis I was told to use nizoral so maybe the change in shampoo had something to do with it. The condition of my hair has improved slightly…its starting to look healthy again when I wash it and it’s not so greasy (apart from when it is shedding allot).
I am hoping that as I am now heading towards month 6 it will be the end of it soon and the hairs that started growing at the start of this will soon thicken my hair a bit.
I’m just so bored of this bizarre situation and really can’t be arsed to think about this anymore. My personal life if looking up so fingers crossed.
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my worry is that although I can see new hairs growing i'm not confident that my hair will ever be as thick as it was. also I hate my receding hairline which has definitely been altered and that this may be the start of something worse.

in my family only my grandfarther on my dads side is bald (he rocks a good old comb over!!)...my dad and uncle have good heads of hair and are in their 50's. my grandfarther on my mothers side only thinned when he was older and all my cousins have good heads of hair in to their 40s. Annoyingly my older brother has started to thin allot at the crow which has made me a bit paranoid.

I’m not too sure what to do...wait till the te is over or take some action? I don’t fancy going through any more shedding at the moment though...its pretty creepy!

anyway....
sorry to bore you if anyone read this rant!

Lain
03-10-2009, 05:29 AM
Hey man!

Always sad to see a young man like you being so desperate. Normally I am in the position to at least give a pseudo diagnosis what to do next. But your certain scalp conditions seem to breach my little knowledge about hair loss. All I can say: My friend who was bald by the age of 25 (Norwood 6) could have been considered as having suffered from depression. With that I mean pathological depressions. The reason of his despair: His hair loss. (surprise surprise)

He didnt go out anymore, played computer the whole day and even didnt go to work. So I came around to kick his back and tell him we go out and have fun. However I advised him to shave his head completely while we have some beer and before we go to the club. All my friends who came with us to the club too told him that he looks really decent with his head shaved and who would have guessed he is together know with one of my good female friends.

What this boring story should tell you: Some people like hair some people dont. I think bald is not sexy but many of my friends disagree to the fullest extent. But what we all agree on is that people who lack of self confidence usually appear less sexy. Afterall its all about how you present yourself. Live a healthy life style, have a fairly nice body and a good mind and I tell you that most of your worries will vanish. Dont worry about your hair loss 24/7. Its simply not worth it. Call your friends next weekend and have some fun. Wish I would live the same town like you then I would show you what fun really means ;)

themunchkinking
03-11-2009, 05:19 AM
Cheers..
well we'll see over the next couple of months. hopefully the shedding will finally stop and the new growth catches up...its slowed since the last heavy shed. i just find it a bit creepy when you brush your hair and it all falls out. ironcally over the summer before this all started i had less shedding then ever really, like less then i ever noticed before i was'nt worried about it.
i've pretty much clawed myself out of my pit of self doubt, though i have the odd moment here or there... i've finally got a new job/career so thats one thing off my list of worries. i do go out and do have fun but i just find that this is never far away from my mind.
my hairs not a total disaster just yet but the rapid rate inwhich its degerated over the last 5 months has been freaky.
thanks for the reply though.

has anyone else on here had telogen effluvium? what were you syptoms and how was your recovery?