Seeing your hair become thinner after the age of 40, with less volume and a widening part, often increases anxiety. Many women immediately think of changing hormones, perimenopause, stress or a slightly unregulated diet, without imagining that something else could be hidden behind this loss of density. However, it happens that the key is found in a forgotten event, which occurred two or three months earlier. And this trigger often surprises those who discover it.
When a viral infection occurs
Specialists describe a fairly common scenario in women over 40: a few weeks after a severe flu or other viral infection with fever and great fatigue, a significant part of the hair goes into a resting phase. Nothing is seen at the time, then, two to three months later, the fall suddenly begins.
This phenomenon has a name, telogen effluvium. Under the effect of this stress on the body, a large number of hair follicles pass together into a so-called shedding stage, instead of doing so gradually. The loss remains diffuse throughout the scalp, which gives the impression of thinning hair after 40 years rather than a truly bald area.
Impressive but temporary hair loss
On a daily basis, the signs can be very noticeable: handfuls of hair that come loose in the shower, unusually full brush, hair left on clothes. This diffuse fall is worrying, especially since it never seems to end. In the majority of cases described, however, it is a transitional phase, while the hair’s natural cycle reorganizes itself.
The follicles that have remained dormant then begin to produce new hair again. Specialists estimate that it takes on average three to six months to see the situation visibly improve, sometimes a little longer when the hormonal background is already weakened or stress remains very present. This slowness feeds worry, even if regrowth is well and truly underway.
What to do about this hair loss after the flu?
Faced with this sudden cascade, the temptation is great to combine aggressive treatments, alcoholic lotions or random cures. It is best to gently support the body rather than jostle it. A few simple actions help get you through these delicate months:
- Adopt a diet rich in protein and iron, with regular and complete meals;
- Relieve stress when possible;
- Improve your sleep;
- Gently massage the scalp for a few minutes a day to stimulate microcirculation.
This is going to be long, you have to be patient. At first, you will only notice the gradual appearance of small, shorter hairs on the temples and parting.
If the fall lasts forever or is accompanied by other signs of discomfort, medical advice helps to verify that it is not another cause. In many cases, this hair alert remains punctual and reversible.