Anagen Effluvium (Rapid Hair Loss During Growth Phase)
What is Anagen Effluvium (Rapid Hair Loss During Growth Phase)
Anagen effluvium is a sudden and severe hair loss that occurs when hair follicles in the active growth (anagen) phase are damaged. Unlike Telogen effluvium, this leads to abrupt and massive shedding, often within days to weeks of the trigger.
Causes / Risk Factors
- Chemotherapy drugs (most common)
- Radiation therapy
- Toxic exposure (arsenic, thallium, lead poisoning)
- Severe infections
- Autoimmune diseases attacking hair follicles
Clinical Features:
- Rapid, widespread hair loss within a few days to weeks
- Can involve scalp, eyebrows, eyelashes, and body hair
- Hair shafts break close to the scalp, leaving short, broken stubs
- Scalp usually remains smooth and non-scarring
- Hair may regrow once the causative factor (like chemo) is stopped, but sometimes texture/quality changes
Conventional Management:
- Cooling caps during chemotherapy (to reduce drug delivery to follicles)
- Hair wigs, cosmetic camouflage
- Reassurance: regrowth usually starts after treatment ends
- No strong allopathic medicine directly prevents this type of hair fall
Homeopathic Perspective
Homeopathy plays an important supportive role, especially in chemotherapy and radiation-related hair loss.
Remedies not only help in faster regrowth of healthy hair but also reduce side effects of toxic drugs (weakness, nausea, low immunity).
Focus is on improving the body’s vital force so that follicles can recover and regenerate naturally.
Common Homeopathic Medicines:
- Arsenicum Album – Hair loss with burning, weakness, and anxiety; useful in drug-induced cases.
- Fluoric Acid – Hair regrowth after chemotherapy; brittle hair, tendency to fall in clumps.
- Phosphorus – Hair falls out in handfuls; suited to sensitive, weak constitutions; helps in regrowth post-illness/chemo.
- Thuja – Hair loss due to drug toxicity or after vaccination; scalp sensitive, thinning patches.
- China (Cinchona) – Hair loss from severe debility after blood loss, weakness, or toxic exposure.
Prognosis
Homeopathy helps accelerate regrowth after chemotherapy or toxic exposure.
- Reduces chances of long-term thinning or poor-quality regrowth.
- Supports immunity and overall recovery of patient during/after cancer therapy.
