Chronic telogen effluvium

CTE is hair loss which is evenly distributed (diffuse) across the scalp, as opposed to hair loss
just at the top of the head. Often it is only the sufferer who notices that their hair is shedding
more than it used to. Women affected by this type of hair loss are usually between the ages of
18 - 50, and they generally show one of the following signs:
An increase in the number of hair lost when shampooing, brushing or combing.
Less hair to clip or tie back than before.

Tests often show that women with CTE suffer from low iron stores in the body (8) . The
amount of iron stored by the body can be simply measured by your doctor. He/she will take a
small blood sample from you and then have it analysed for its serum ferritin level.
However the more common measurement to be taken from a blood test is the haemoglobin
level but this simply helps your doctor see if you are anaemic. Research has not established a
link between haemoglobin levels and hair loss as it has with hair loss and serum ferritin
values (8, 9).
In fact it is not unusual to find you have a normal haemoglobin level with lowered storage iron
(serum ferritin).
Low dietary iron intakes has been known for some time to be a potential problem for millions
of women, but it is only now that it is becoming recognised as an important factor that can
contribute to increased hair shedding, and that this condition is really quite common (10 - 12).