telogen effluvium

Yes, that's a real medical phrase. It means someone is losing a lot of their hair due to something that knocked the hair growth process out of whack. It means that a once thick, healthy head of hair is being reduced to thin, sparsely implanted threads of dullness. They say it's not permanent and that person won't go totally bald. Hair growth is continuing as normal and hair loss should decrease within 6 months. Again, they say people afflicted with telogen effluvium won't go bald. And my favorite part of my internet research is the suggested treatment: reassurance. Yep, drs are told to reassure their patients as the only form of treatment. Can I tell you that I don't feel better yet? Even with all that reassurance.

I started out with hair like this. Nice thick hair with a will of it's own. I had trouble finding barrettes to hold it. I could only put 2 turns in a hair band when putting it up in a pony tail.

Now, I'm heading for this:
Ok, maybe not that bad, but it sure feels like it. I'm taking suggestions from my thin haired friends because I have never had to deal with this before.


Looks like a hair cut is in my future. I'm gonna have a lot of short little growing in hairs.... So much for my foray into long hair... Now, if I can just find a hair stylist who won't freak out on me when she combs out about 100 hairs in one sitting...