There’s more to hair loss than male pattern baldness. One cause is a problem called telogen effluvium. Put in simple terms it is hair falling out after pregnancy, high stress, dramatic weight loss or major surgery. Certain medications can also cause the problem. Hair loss is usually noticed about three to six weeks after one of the previously mentioned events occurs. Some people are known to actually lose handfuls of hair at a time.

To diagnose the problem a hair restoration surgeon may ask you if you had a stressful event recently. He or she may also look at hair that has fallen out to see if there are “bulbs” at the base. This indicates that hairs may have ended their growth cycles early and all at once due to the stress.

The term telogen effluvium might sound like a dramatic disease (and it is to those who have gone through it). But, the good news is that it’s usually temporary. If medication is causing the problem, talk to your hair restoration surgeon or family doctor about reducing the dose. If pregnancy, surgery or other temporary stress is the cause, you’ll be glad to know that hair growth gradually returns to a normal growth cycle. If the stress is more continuous, make some lifestyle changes to reduce it. Your hair will thank you for it.