A study was published in The Lancet, the world’s oldest medical journal, stating that more than one out of five patients hospitalized due to Covid-19 continued to lose hair even after six months of discharge.
Many people believe that Coronavirus causes hair loss by attacking the follicles, but this isn’t true. Coronavirus is not directly responsible for hair loss. It is the body’s response to the illness and stress that comes with the disease that causes hair loss.
So those wondering “does Covid make your hair fall out” should understand that it is not the virus making you lose hair, but the physiological stress that comes with the illness.
How stress induces hair loss
Any disease, such as Covid-19, causes immense emotional and physiological stress to the body. This triggers a response. The body, under extreme stressful condition, shuts down the not-so-important functions of the body such as producing hair. This is to concentrate on vital functions to survive. As a result, follicles go dormant and hair begin to fall.
As per the Director of Clinical Research at the Department of Dermatology, New York Medical College, “Anytime you have a shock to your system, it can shunt the hair into a shedding phase.”
Medically, this type of stress-induced hair loss is called telogen effluvium. Generally, it goes away by itself, as the body copes with the stress and starts to normalize. This takes 6-9 months.
It is no wonder that Coronavirus patients, after recovery, experience hair loss. They have been through a stress situation – mentally and physiologically. It is been found that hair loss begins in Covid-19 patients after a few months.
As per a board-certified dermatologist in Augusta, Georgia, “The reason this happens is that our bodies, when under stress, devote resources to functions that are physiologically more important.” “Your body is focused on healing and repairing itself, and not focused on hair growth.”
According to the dermatologist, in severe cases, a patient may lose one-third of their hair.
However, as this discussion goes, dermatologists are also keeping a tab on
Coronavirus survivors to find out whether their hair loss is actually telogen effluvium or something else triggered by continued inflammation and illness.
As per a report published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, dermatology clinics located at two New York City hospitals witnessed a 400 per cent surge in cases of telogen effluvium between March 1 and August 31, 2020, compared to the same time before the pandemic.
Doctor’s advice for hair loss sufferers
If you have started to lose hair after an episode of Covid-19 illness, the first thing to do is stop stressing about it. And this is perhaps the hardest thing to do in this case!
However, according to dermatologists, if your hair loss is telogen effluvium, then it will recover by itself within a few months. Your hair will begin to grow again.
Tips to deal with Covid-19 induced hair loss
- Self-care should be your priority.
- Have balanced meals.
- Take ample rest.
- Consult a doctor for multi-vitamin supplements.
- Exercise daily for improved blood circulation in follicles.
- Manage stress. Try to stay happy as much as possible.
- See a dermatologist, if your hair loss continues for more than a year.
- Consult a dermatologist immediately, if you have flaky, itchy scalp skin and rashes along with hair loss. This could be some other problem.
In case wherein telogen effluvium lasts more than 6-12 months, the dermatologist may prescribe you minoxidil-infused treatment. Minoxidil is found to be effective in treating such type of hair loss. Please consult a doctor before you start minoxidil treatment.
Even before that, you must wait till your body normalizes after Coronavirus illness. Give your body time to recover.
Leanne Richardson
Leanne Richardson loves writing about hair because she believes that a head full of great-looking hair is a thing of joy and beauty. Her expert and practical advice come from her wide exposure to the field of hair care from an early age.
