I sometimes hear from people who have noticed that in addition to their hair falling out very aggressively, their scalp and hair have become quite oily. Once they do some research on this, they sometimes discover that an oily scalp can be a sign of another hair loss condition called androgenetic alopecia. But that amateur diagnosis doesn’t quite fit either because androgen-related hair loss doesn’t always present with dramatic shedding.

So you might hear a comment like, “I always thought I had telogen effluvium because my hair loss started after I stopped taking a medication I’d been taking for a while. However, now I’m noticing something else in my hair besides just the shedding.My scalp and hair are oily and greasy and I have never had this problem before.When I tried to research this I read in several places that excess oil can be a sign of androgenetic alopecia.Is it possible to have effluvium telogen with a healthy scalp when this is something new?”

I will tell you my opinion on this, but I am not a doctor or a hair loss specialist. Still, based on my own experience and the research I’ve done, I have an opinion, but I suggest you ask a doctor if you’re still in doubt.

I think it is sometimes possible to notice an oilier scalp when you have telogen effluvium. And here’s why. When many more hair follicles go into the resting or shedding phase, inflammation sometimes results when all that hair falls out at once. (This is why your scalp sometimes hurts or turns red or pink.) Now, if your scalp becomes inflamed, your body can see it as damage. Then, it will try to protect itself and reduce that same damage. But what mechanism does your scalp have to prevent itself? Oil. This is why sometimes people who use very strong shampoos for oily hair will find that this makes the problem worse. The shampoo was harsh on the scalp and the scalp reacted by becoming oilier because oil is produced to act as a protective barrier. It is possible that this was the case here. One thing you can try is a calming topical like emu or tea tree oil.

Another possible reason you might be seeing an oily scalp is the hair care regimen you’re using. Sometimes when we’re shedding our hair, we naturally just want to wash our hair less. Or we wash it so gently that it is not as effective. This could cause a bit more oil than we are used to. Also, as described above, the harsh products and topicals we try to stop hair loss can irritate or dry out the scalp, which can lead to that protective oil. Finally, sometimes the oils we use to soothe our scalps can make our hair appear greasy.

With all of this being said, it is possible to have two hair loss conditions and you may think you have one when you actually have another. Androgenetic alopecia with aggressive shedding was certainly not out of the question. That is why a doctor can be helpful. But since this shedding started when the medication was stopped, it was reasonable to assume telogen effluvium unless she started to see more patterned loss or thinning.