Hair growth normally occurs in four stages. The anagen or growth stage, the catagen phase as hair growth slows, the telogen or resting phase where hair is done growing but is not falling out, and the exogen phase where hair begins to shed.
When a person’s hair’s growth cycle is functioning as it should, it is normal to lose 50-100 hairs throughout the day during the exogen phase. It can be alarming to notice an excessive amount of sudden hair loss and understanding the cause can go a long way towards possible treatments and care options.
Anagen Effluvium is a type of hair loss that is most common in patients receiving chemotherapy. It causes a diffuse hair loss that develops quickly and can lead to complete hair loss. When someone has anagen effluvium, hair in the anagen phase is disrupted at the follicle level in a way that causes it to weaken, break, and even shed before completing the normal growth cycle.
What Causes Anagen Effluvium?
The most common trigger for anagen effluvium is chemotherapy. Chemotherapy drugs, used to target rapidly dividing cancer cells also target healthy hair follicles. This is why hair loss can happen within the first few weeks of starting treatment rather than months later.
Heavy metal toxins, severe nutritional deficiencies, radiation therapy, and other medications can interfere with cell division. There are also rare cases where autoimmune conditions can also disrupt the anagen phase.
What Does Anagen Effluvium Look Like?
Hair loss from anagen effluvium tends to happen quickly and dramatically instead of gradual thinning. People will notice hair falling out in clumps during washing, brushing, or even at rest. The whole scalp tends to lose hair evenly instead of in patches as with other forms of hair loss. Also, eyebrows, eyelashes, and body hair may also be affected.
These shed hairs often look broken or more narrow at the root, showing signs of incomplete development. The scalp itself usually looks healthy without any scarring, redness, or scabbing. This is one of the key factors doctors use to compare anagen effluvium vs telogen effluvium, as telogen effluvium typically involves full-length hair that sheds months after a triggering event.
Does Hair Grow Back After Anagen Effluvium?
Hair does grow back after anagen effluvium in most cases. Once the underlying cause, such as the chemotherapy treatments, is stopped then hair follicles can resume their normal activity. New growth typically resumes within one to three months, though it can take longer for hair density to fully recover.
As the hair begins to regrow, they may look or feel different. Hair may grow back more fine, curlier, or lighter in color than before. These changes are often temporary and tend to normalize over time as the hair cycle reestablishes itself.
Is Anagen Effluvium Permanent?
The good news is that the condition is not generally permanent. The hair follicles are not destroyed in most cases, simply impaired. Permanent hair loss is rare and generally only occurs after repeated and prolonged exposure to triggering agents. It should be noted that while regrowth is common, the emotional toll of sudden hair loss can be significant in a way that makes medical guidance and emotional support an important part of recovery.
Hair Restoration of Lehigh Valley Has Solutions for Hair Loss
Worried about hair loss? At Hair Restoration of Lehigh Valley, we have the treatments and the expertise to help you bring back a full and luxurious head of hair. Contact us today for a consultation!
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