When to Be Concerned About Temporary Hair Loss

Most people will be able to recognize a drastic change in their usual hair growth cycle by seeing more hairs on their pillow or in the shower. Hair loss caused by a normal hair growth cycle is only temporary, and the hair that falls out is replaced by new growth from hair follicles that transition from the telogen (resting) phase into the anagen (growth) phase.

If you do start to notice an unusually large number of fallen hairs beginning to show up while grooming or on your pillow or clothing, then the “temporary” nature of this hair loss may be questionable, and you should seek professional advice.

This advanced hair loss can be especially stressful for men or women who have relatives who are also suffering from hair loss. Androgenetic alopecia (male/female pattern baldness) is a hereditary and genetic form of hair loss. A patient who knows that they have a family history of androgenetic alopecia may begin to worry about the daily loss of significant and noticeable hair. While a patient who has male/female pattern hair loss in their family is at a higher level of risk for androgenetic alopecia, a patient cannot immediately be certain that the observed hair loss is an initial sign of pattern hair loss. In fact, most patients do not even start to notice hair shedding until they have already lost enough hair that they notice their hair thinning on the top of the scalp.