What should you know about Lauren, newly diagnosed with telogen effluvium?

Telogen effluvium is a shift in the hair cycle that sends more hairs into a resting and shedding phase. People may notice extra hair in the shower, on a pillow, or in a brush, with thinning spread across the scalp rather than a single smooth patch. [Hair Loss](/symptoms/hair-loss/) and [Thinning Hair](/symptoms/hair-thinning/) describe what can be seen, while the condition itself requires clinical context.

Possible triggers include fever or illness, surgery, major stress, rapid dietary change, low intake of key nutrients, hormonal changes, or a new medicine. Shedding can appear after the trigger rather than immediately, so a timeline is useful. Other causes can coexist and should not be assumed away.

Book a dermatology review and write down recent illness, procedures, stress, diet changes, medicines, and hair practices. A clinician may examine the scalp and consider testing when the history suggests a nutritional, hormonal, or other contributor. Eat regular balanced meals, avoid crash dieting, handle hair gently, and limit tight styles, bleaching, and high heat.

Treatment is directed at the cause when one is found. Depending on the assessment, options may include [Hair Supplement Therapy](/treatments/hair-restoration/hair-supplement-therapy/), [Topical Minoxidil](/treatments/hair-restoration/topical-minoxidil/), or [PRP For Hair Loss](/treatments/hair-restoration/prp-hair-treatment/). Do not start supplements or medicines without checking suitability.

Seek prompt review for bald patches, scalp inflammation, pain, scaling, pus, eyebrow loss, or shedding with marked fatigue, faintness, weight change, or menstrual changes. Arrange reassessment if shedding continues, becomes more pronounced, or the scalp pattern changes. Sudden severe illness symptoms require urgent medical care rather than a hair-treatment appointment.

Ask whether the pattern fits telogen effluvium, what event may have preceded it, and whether another hair disorder could be present. Ask which tests are appropriate, how to use any treatment, what side effects matter, and when to return if shedding or thinning does not settle.