Diffuse Hair Loss in Females

The study from 2018 examined 100 women with diffuse hair loss, with the mean age being 31.06 years. The most common type of hair loss was female pattern hair loss (FPHL) at 61%, followed by telogen effluvium (TE) at 25%, and chronic telogen effluvium (CTE) at 14%. The duration of hair loss ranged from 15 days to 2 years. Chronic infection or disease was present in 28% of the patients, with hypothyroidism being the most common at 14%. Emotional stress was a factor in 22% of cases, and 28% had a history of drug intake. Anemia was common in all three groups, with CTE and TE patients having significantly lower hemoglobin and ferritin levels, and higher total iron-binding capacity (TIBC) levels, suggesting these conditions could be a manifestation of low iron stores. Elevated levels of testosterone were found in 6.6% of patients with FPHL. The study concluded that stress, hypothyroidism, drug intake, and anemia were important factors in diffuse hair loss in women.