Telogen Effluvium
- Katherine Moen
- Oct 5, 2022
- 3 min read
Updated: Feb 27, 2025
It's been a while since I have written about my recovery and hair loss. The last thing I wrote about was possibly having telogen effluvium. I saw a dermatologist on the 17th of February. I told him I got ill from Covid and was hospitalized. He asked if I was intubated, and I answered quickly with a yes. I held back my tears as the memories from the hospital flooded my brain. He diagnosed me with telogen effluvium. He explained what was happening to my hair after the stressful event and told me to start using Minoxidil 5% to slow down the telogen phase. "This could last another 6 months," he said, "but I promise that you won't go bald." Although, it felt like I was going bald with how much hair I was losing.
After my appointment, I went to the store to get Minoxidil. The doctor said to use it twice a day for 3 months. In the store, I bought a 3-month supply of what I needed. Later that night, I got my hair cut to shoulder length, hoping my hair wouldn't get as tangled. During the cut, I told some of my story to the hairstylist. I felt my body start to tremble as I got more into my story, causing me to feel anxious. After the haircut, I saw the final results. I felt cute with having my hair short. I have not had it this short since I was a little girl.
After my day of getting answers and making a style change, I changed my morning and evening routines. I started with managing my new hair and self-care routine. It was a lot easier to brush out, which made my stress level go down. I started to take prenatal vitamins to see if it would help during my healing process. It wasn't until March 16th that I noticed my hair wasn't coming out anymore. That must mean that the Minoxidil was slowing down the telogen phase and moving into the anagen phase. At that point, my hair was very thin, and I didn't feel confident about it compared to when I first got it cut.
Three months later, it was time to see the dermatologist again. He told me that I had a cm of growth. He seemed happy that there was good news. I told him that the Minoxidil makes my head itch and asked if I could stop using it. He wanted me to keep using it for a little while longer to see if it still helps. Since then, I haven't seen the dermatologist, and my regrowth has been going really well. I won't lie, it has been emotionally hard for me to accept the state my hair is in. Some days I am okay; some days I am happy with how the regrowth is going; and sometimes I miss having my long hair. The best part of going through this is the experience itself and learning about it.
If you want to learn more about hair loss, check out the links below.
Stay happy and healthy,
Katie Moen
If you or someone you care about is going through something similar, I want you to know that your hair will eventually stop falling out. You will not become bald. Yes it can be an emotional roller-coaster but I guarantee it'll grow back. I advise to check with a dermatologist if you are going through the same thing or something similar.
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