Being a dermatologist, I'm used to seeing telogen effluvium. This is a condition in which the hair abruptly shifts from the anagen (growth) phase into telogen (the shedding phase). This can result from major stresses such as surgery, sudden weight loss, or major illness. The most common situation in which we see this is following a pregnancy. During pregnancy, women note that they have fuller, more lustrous hair. This is because most hair during pregnancy is in the anagen phase, and less hair than normal is in the telogen phase. After pregnancy, many hair follicles shift into the telogen phase, resulting in sudden shedding. Because many people are familiar with postpartum thinning, I often give this example when describing telogen effluvium to my patients.
Now, unfortunately, the teacher has become the subject. I've got telogen effluvium myself, in the very worst way. For the past 2-3 months, I've been shedding hair like a madwoman. As I say to Lydie all the time, as I pull my hairs off of her clothes, off of her bedding, and off of everything, "Mommy's hair is everywhere!" We knew we were in trouble last week when we noted a small coiled hair in her diaper--I'm sure it passed through her entire digestive tract! I keep hoping that the process is slowing, but I can definitely see the result of this large-scale molt; I now have two triangular areas of definite thinning. When I showed one of my residents earlier this week, she gave a gasp and I knew it was bad.
Oh, it's difficult! I'm really a somewhat vain person, and I absolutely can't pull my hair straight back into a ponytail right now. I know this will stop and that I should return to normal, but it terrifies me so much. I've definitely gained some insight into how my poor patients feel. I don't want to be bald!!!!
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I'm familiar with that panic. When we first got to CT, I noticed that I was losing a lot more hair down the drain and was convinced that there was something in CT water that made my hair fall out. I haven't noticed my hair being extra full now, so I fear the thinning stage.
Yolanda, it's so funny that you would post about this--I called Julie tonight to tell her the exact same thing (about myself). I pull handful after handful after handful of hair out in the shower, and again getting up in the morning.
Sam took a picture of AC and me the other day, and I gasped loudly when I saw the enormous bald triangles where my hairline had receded practically inches.
People warned me that I would lose hair, but I don't think there is any way to prepare for it! I thought "OK, I'll lose a bit more than I am used to .." In reality, they should tell pregnant women to expect to lose hair like someone on chemo!
I hear you - vanity or not, I was tempted to go buy Rogaine for women just to speed up the process of my hair growing back in!
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