You can lose hair from too much exercise. The hair loss is called telogen effluvium and it occurs when the body is under severe stress. While distressing, telogen effluvium is generally temporary and the hair grows back. Additionally, while the hair loss may look unhealthy, tealogen effluvium is actually a sign that your body is becoming healthier. To understand how too much exercise can cause hair loss, and what telogen effluvium means, you should first understand how hair grows and how too much exercise affects the body.
Hair Growth
Hair grows occurs in a cycle. The growth, or anagen, phase lasts for at least three years, and the hair grows as much as 1/2 inch per month. The resting, or telogen, phase lasts up to three months. At the end of the resting phase, the hair falls out and a new hair grows in its place. Under normal circumstances, only a certain percentage of hair goes into resting phase and the rest of the hair continues to grow. The resting hairs are dispersed all over your head so that when they fall out, you experience even loss all over. Additionally, not all of the hairs go into resting phase at the same time. It's a staggered pattern which also leads to even loss, so you don't experience bald patches.
Telogen Effluvium
The term "effluvium" refers to the process of hair falling out. Telogen effluvium refers to hair falling out during the telogen phase. Your body has a finite energy supply. When the body is under duress, it shuts down certain processes, to conserve energy for important functions, like breathing. Hair and skin are often the first functions to go, which is why you may notice that your hair and skin become dry and brittle after an illness. Because hair growth uses energy, the body causes more hairs to go into resting phase than normal. The hair may also go into resting phase earlier and stay in the phase longer than usual, as the body tries to cope with the additional stress. The hair in resting phase will then fall out, leaving bald patches.
Exercise Effects
Exercise has several benefits, but it also puts stress on the body. It requires a lot of energy and if you do not eat enough, or exercise more than your body can support, it will cause you to shut down processes, to keep you alive. Over time, too much exercise, or over-training, may cause your hair to go into the resting phase and trigger telogen effluvium.
Considerations
Because telogen effluvium is temporary, your hair will grow back once the stress has passed. The key to preventing hair loss is to avoid exercising more than your body can support. Signs of over-training include sleep disturbances, fatigue and reduced recovery time after exercise as well as loss of muscle mass and failure to lose body fat. If you experience any of these symptoms, reduce your exercise frequency and intensity and consult your physician.
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