How is “chronic telogen effluvium” (CTE) different from “telogen effluvium” (TE)?

The main difference is how long the hair shedding lasts.

Telogen effluvium (TE) is short-term and usually stops on its own. Chronic telogen effluvium (CTE) is long-term, lasting for many months or even years, and often comes and goes in waves.

Think of your hair follicles like little factories. Normally, most of them are busy making hair. But a big shock can scare them into taking a sudden break. When they take a break, the hair shaft falls out, not the follicles.

Key Differences Between TE and CTE

You can easily compare the two types using this overview:

Feature	Telogen Effluvium (Acute)	Chronic Telogen Effluvium (CTE)
How long does it last	Less than 6 months	More than 6 months (can last for years)
How it starts	Happens suddenly after one big shock	Happens slowly or keeps coming back in waves
The Cause	Easy to pinpoint (like a high fever or childbirth)	Harder to find; often due to a long-term body imbalance
Recovery	Hair usually grows back fully on its own	Hair keeps shedding until the root problem is fixed

What Triggers Chronic Telogen Effluvium (CTE)?

While regular TE is caused by a one-time event (like a major surgery or a bad flu), Chronic TE happens because something is continuously upsetting your body. The most common ongoing triggers include:

Long-Term Stress: Living with constant, high emotional stress or anxiety. Worrying about the hair loss itself creates a stressful loop that keeps the shedding going.

Low Iron levels: Having low ferritin (the protein that stores iron in your body), even if you are not officially anemic.

Thyroid Problems: An underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) or an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) that stays unbalanced.

Nutritional Deficiencies: Not getting enough protein, zinc, or Vitamin D over a long period.

Medications: Taking certain prescription drugs every day, such as some blood pressure medications, blood thinners, or antidepressants.

Chronic Illness: Living with long-term health conditions like kidney issues, liver issues, or autoimmune diseases.

Managing Shedding: Excessive shedding (telogen effluvium) is tied to the body's internal systems. It can be triggered by high stress, rapid weight loss, hormonal shifts (like postpartum changes), or nutritional deficits. Addressing root health and eating a balanced diet rich in protein and iron helps support normal regrowth.
Our Treatments
1. Patient education: Understand the causes of TE, CTE, and HB (hair breakage), and implement a personalized treatment plan.
2. Regenerative treatments: Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP), Cytokine Rich Plasma (CRP), or combinations of exosomes, to fertilize the hair structures in the scalp and reduce inflammation that causes excess hair shedding. Also, turning on the stem cells and promoting angiogenesis, which ck will
3. Vitamins: such as Biotin 5,000 mcg twice daily, Nutrafol
4. OATH: Amplification Oxygen Therapy: Noninvasive O2 Anagen aerosolized treatment and O2 Anagen serum.
5. Photo modulation therapy: to increase the microcirculation to the follicles.
6. Low Dose Oral Minoxidil: to 1- up regulate dermal papilla cells (control center of the hair follicles) responsible for the size, shape, growth, and rest cycle. 2- upregulate ATP (the energy of the cell) and 3- open the potassium channels, creating angiogenesis (formation of new microcirculation) to the follicles.

Greco Medical Group: Experience, Innovation, Biotechnology

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