Shedding: An updated guide to a common cause of hair loss

Telogen effluvium is a common, nonscarring type of diffuse hair shedding that results from a temporary disruption of the normal hair growth cycle and is typically reversible, with gradual regrowth over time. It can be triggered by physiologic or emotional stressors such as illness, surgery, childbirth, nutritional deficiencies, medications, or systemic infection, though a cause cannot always be found. Diagnosis is primarily clinical, and management focuses on identifying potential triggers, educating and reassuring the patient, and offering supportive therapies when appropriate.