Anagen Effluvium: Why Hair Falls Out Fast and What Helps

Anagen effluvium is a type of hair loss that may result in total or near-total baldness. Cancer treatments like chemotherapy and radiation often trigger it, but hair usually grows back once those treatments are complete. While this condition is often temporary, it can still be distressing or scary.

Below, you'll discover the signs, causes, and treatment options for anagen effluvium hair loss, including medications to encourage hair growth. If you're concerned about anagen effluvium or any other form of hair loss, it's best to consult a healthcare provider for an accurate diagnosis and appropriate care.

Key Takeaways

• Anagen effluvium causes rapid, widespread shedding when hair falls out during the growth phase.

• Chemotherapy and radiation commonly trigger it, and regrowth often occurs after treatment ends.

• Shedding can start days to weeks after a trigger, with fragile shafts and minimal visible scalp irritation.

• Care may include scalp cooling, minoxidil, and gentle routines to support regrowth and reduce breakage.

What Anagen Effluvium Is

Anagen effluvium is a widespread and rapid form of hair loss. It occurs when your regular hair growth cycle is disrupted. Hair progresses through three phases of growth. The anagen phase represents the active growth stage. If you have anagen effluvium, you're shedding hair that's still in the active growth phase.

Typically, damage to the hair follicle is what causes it. Anagen effluvium may cause complete hair loss on your scalp. It can also impact hair on your body, face, eyebrows, and eyelashes.

This condition is the most frequent side effect of chemotherapy, affecting over half of those undergoing this treatment. Though it's usually temporary, the risk of lasting hair loss might increase with higher doses of chemotherapy and certain drug combinations.

Common Symptoms of Anagen Effluvium

Symptoms will depend on the cause and how severe it is, but they often start days or weeks after you're exposed to the trigger or cause.

Anagen effluvium often presents with these common signs:

• No visible scalp inflammation: Usually, the scalp looks normal, without scaling, sores, redness, or obvious irritation. Some people report mild tenderness or sensitivity, but visible inflammation isn't typical.

• Fragile hair shafts: Remaining hair might feel weaker and break more easily near the root. Strands might appear uneven, shorter, or struggle to maintain styles because breakage occurs more quickly.

• Complete or partial hair loss: How severe it is can range from mild thinning to heavy shedding. In more severe instances, you may lose most of the hair on your scalp, and some people experience almost total baldness.

• Sudden hair loss: Hair might fall out quickly and in large amounts, often within days or weeks. You might see clumps in the drain, on your pillow, or while brushing, and the change can feel sudden.

• Diffuse hair loss and thinning: Hair density decreases across a wide area instead of creating distinct bald spots. It might be most noticeable at the crown, along your part, or near the hairline as overall fullness diminishes.

• Other areas of hair loss: While it usually affects the scalp, you might also notice shedding in your eyebrows, eyelashes, body hair, and facial hair. This can happen along with changes to your scalp.

These symptoms can appear rapidly once something disrupts your normal hair cycle. Many people notice a dramatic and quick change in their hair. Beyond the physical changes, anagen effluvium can impact your body image, raise anxiety or depression, and decrease your quality of life.

Common Causes of Anagen Effluvium

Anagen effluvium occurs when an external or internal factor interferes with the growth phase of your hair cycle. Typically, this results in rapid and extensive hair loss. Here are some of the most common causes.

Severe Infections

Though rare, your body's response to a serious bacterial or viral infection may trigger anagen effluvium, disrupting follicles and leading to hair loss on your scalp.

Autoimmune Diseases

Certain autoimmune disorders, where the immune system mistakenly targets healthy cells (including follicles in the growth phase), may lead to anagen effluvium.

For example, pemphigus vulgaris, an autoimmune condition that causes blisters on the skin and mucous membranes, can trigger anagen effluvium. Also, people with lupus erythematosus might experience this type of hair loss.

Medications

Besides chemotherapy drugs, other medications may list anagen effluvium as a side effect, such as immunosuppressants (used for some autoimmune conditions and to prevent organ or stem cell transplant rejection) or antimetabolites (used for specific tumors and cancers).

Chemotherapy

Hair loss related to chemotherapy is common. These drugs that fight cancer are a main cause of anagen effluvium. Because these medicines target cells that divide quickly, they affect both cancer cells and healthy hair follicle cells. That's why many people lose hair within weeks of starting treatment.

Radiation Therapy

Radiation to the scalp, which is used to treat some skin cancers or minimize scarring after surgery, can cause anagen effluvium by harming hair follicles during the growth phase. If radiation is strong enough to damage follicles, the hair loss could be permanent.

Toxic Chemical Exposure

Contact with particular toxins or heavy metals, such as thallium, mercury, boron, bismuth, copper, and cadmium, can disrupt cell processes and trigger anagen effluvium.

Treatment Options for Anagen Effluvium

There are two parts to managing anagen effluvium. First, you should address what's causing the hair loss. Then, concentrate on encouraging regrowth. The best strategy will depend on your specific situation and the identified cause. It's also helpful to consider the emotional effects of anagen effluvium.

Hair loss from anagen effluvium is often temporary compared to permanent alopecia, so a solid plan can help you recover more quickly. Below are some common options that a dermatologist or other healthcare provider might suggest.

Anagen Effluvium Medications

Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP)

While PRP is more commonly used for other types of hair loss, it could still be helpful for anagen effluvium. During the procedure, concentrated platelets from your blood are injected into your scalp to stimulate follicle activity. PRP offers growth factors that may encourage regrowth.

Scalp Cooling Treatment

Scalp cooling, which involves using caps or ice packs during chemotherapy, is often used to lower the risk of anagen effluvium. This approach, which has been cleared by the FDA, cools the scalp during treatment. This slows blood flow to the follicles, limiting the amount of chemotherapy that reaches them.

The studies I saw support how effective it is. For instance, one study of 142 women with breast cancer revealed that more than half who used scalp cooling kept most or all of their hair.

Minoxidil

Topical minoxidil is an FDA-approved hair loss treatment available over the counter as a foam and liquid solution in 2% and 5% strengths. It's believed to boost blood flow to follicles and encourage hairs to enter the growth phase sooner. You'll often need to use it consistently for several months before you see results, but it might help speed up regrowth.

Supportive Care and Lifestyle Tips

Gentle Hair Care

Be extra gentle while you're losing hair or trying to encourage regrowth. Allow your hair to air-dry after washing it, use soft towels, and choose sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner to minimize breakage. A wide-tooth comb gave me slip without snagging when I was carefully detangling my hair.

For extra care, try massaging a small amount of batana oil mixed with rosemary into your scalp and the middle section of your hair two to three times a week. Let it sit for 30 to 60 minutes before rinsing. Harsh treatments like chemical dyes and very hot tools may be harder on fragile hair.

Supplements

Along with a balanced diet, your healthcare team might recommend supplements to help encourage regrowth. Biotin, iron, and omega-3 fatty acids may help to improve hair quality and encourage new growth.

Wigs and Hairpieces

People who have significant hair loss sometimes find that wigs and hairpieces provide a temporary option, emotional support, confidence, and a sense of normalcy while their hair regrows.

Stress Management

Losing hair quickly and noticeably can feel overwhelming. Stress management supports your overall health, and consistent practices such as meditation, yoga, journaling, walks in nature, or therapy might reduce anxiety and improve your mood.

Nutrition

Poor nutrition has been linked to anagen effluvium and other conditions. Take a look at your overall eating habits and see where you can make improvements.

Try to eat a variety of foods that are rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to support your overall well-being. A dietitian can offer customized advice. If you're concerned about nutrition, your doctor might also recommend iron testing.

Reverse Anagen Effluvium With Gentle Hair Care Routine

Anagen effluvium often reverses faster when you protect surviving follicles before visible regrowth begins. Start scalp cooling during your next chemo session if it's available, apply topical minoxidil within two weeks of finishing treatment, and skip hot tools until density returns. 

Many people wait until shedding stops to take action, but follicles respond better when you intervene early. If your scalp feels tender or your remaining strands snap easily, switch to a sulfate-free wash and air-dry for thirty days. Track progress with monthly photos instead of daily mirror checks—regrowth happens in spurts, not straight lines.

For routines that pair gentle cleansing with proven activities, explore the Keyoma Hair Care blog for step-by-step protocols and ingredient breakdowns.