Telogen effluvium over?

Question
QUESTION: hi - thank you for answering my prior questions. i've been tracking my hair shedding and it seemed to peak in early november and by the end of november was averaging about 110 hairs per day (still high but less)- early-mid december was about 90 hairs a day. i got my hair cut towards the end of the month of december and for the last three weeks have been averaging about 50-60 hairs a day which seems to be normal. my question is, is that enough time (3 weeks) to determine i've recovered from this bout of TE? i saw my derm in early dec and he said the shedding could go on for a couple of months (i was shedding from stress sept/oct, had surgery nov 1st w/anesthesia and shedding a lot all november) but somehow right after the haircut it seemed to go down (also i asked my hairdresser and he said i was barely loosing any hairs during my cut).  shouldn't i be shedding longer from the anesthesia (not that i'm unhappy with less shedding)?



thanks!



ANSWER: Hello Sue: It sounds like your hair growth cycle is returning to normal as your shedding has reduced quite a bit, and the decrease has been consistent for the past 3 weeks. It is best not to worry or become obsessed about what is going to happen. (I know that's hard to do!) For now your hair loss has tapered off and that is a good thing. There's no way to predict when another episode may occur. The best thing to do is to keep the body and mind physically and emotionally well. Nutrition is key. Using essential oil scalp treatments can also be very effective for maintenance.

Sincerely, Melanie Vonzabuesnig



Create Your Own Natural Hair Loss Remedies

http://www.vzbotanicals.com/Books%20info.html



Essential Oil Scalp Massage for Hair Loss

http://www.vzbotanicals.com/aromatherapy%20for%20hair%20loss.html





---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------



QUESTION: i want to thank you for taking the time to answer all my questions -your responses have been quick and very helpful, especially when dealing with such an emotional issue as hair loss.  I have one final question. i noticed in the last week my hair loss had gone way down (maybe 40-60 hairs when i wash and 5 on the days i don't - i wash every other day) this seemed very low to me after 3 weeks of averaging about 50-60 for the week. i didn't wash yesterday and lost 5 for the day- i washed today and it looks to be about 100 - i know that's still low as a weekly average but i was curious if this is just a day of extra loss, the TE starting again or just my body settling back into normal hair loss after a bout of TE (which ran from Sept - late December). At this point i 've been about one month averaging 50-60 hairs a day which seems normal. i am very stressed about this and i know for me, emotional stress can trigger TE.  Also, i want to color my hair - semi-permanent, as it's very grey and i've held off during TE- do you think it's ok to color?



thank you again for your help


Answer
Hello Sue: With telogen effluvium the amount of noticeable shedding can vary from day to day. Once the shedding remains at a normal amount for several months,it would be a good indication the the telogen effluvium has ended. I personally would not dye my hair while it is in a fragile, falling state. I prefer to use henna, indigo and amla from "Henna for Hair" website. It is pure body art quality henna. This is much higher quality henna than what you see in the shops. It is very healthy for your hair. This is what I use to color my own hair now.

Sincerely, Melanie Vonzabuesnig

Understanding Female Hair Loss

http://www.vzbotanicals.com/overcomefemalehairloss.html