Have you noticed your hair falling out after being diagnosed with COVID-19? Two years since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, those infected with the virus live with persistent symptoms even after their recovery. Hair loss has become a surprisingly common long-term symptom of COVID, one that can easily send you into a panic if you experience it yourself. Finding a solution to your post-COVID hair loss starts with understanding why your hair is shedding faster than usual.
What factors typically trigger hair loss?
Hair loss can happen as a result of several environmental and health factors. When the body undergoes stress, it can cause physiological effects like hair loss. Typically, people experience hair loss after:
Unusually fast weight loss
Surgery
Fever or infection
Childbirth
Hospitalizations
Emotional stress
Thyroid complications
Taking certain medicines, especially with hormonal effects
We, as humans, shed our hair regularly. It’s part of the growth cycle for our hair; as new follicles grow, they rest on our scalp and then shed. Shedding 100-150 hairs a day is typical for an average person, but the trouble comes when the body sheds hair excessively, causing thinning hair on your head. When your body enters into a state of excess hair shedding, the process is called telogen effluvium.
What causes hair loss after a COVID-19 infection?
COVID-19 infections cause fever and stress on the body, which can change the state of your hair follicles to a resting state where they begin to shed more rapidly. When more of your hair follicles are shedding at a faster rate, you can notice more dramatic hair loss, like pulling out clumps of hair in your shower. COVID-19 accelerates the process of hair shedding and makes your scalp shed more hair than it typically would.
With the strain your body undergoes during COVID-19, you will see more hair shedding in the months after your other symptoms fade.
Can you stop hair loss from continuing?
The good news is that telogen effluvium, or excess hair shedding, is a treatable condition that can end with the right treatment path. With care and time, your hair follicles will begin to grow faster, and the hair shedding you’re experiencing from COVID-19 will reduce.
If you’re struggling with hair loss, Custom Hair can help. To schedule a free consultation, click here.
Photo Credit: Engin_Akyurt Via Pixabay
References
Healthcare.utah.edu. 2022. Losing Your Hair After COVID-19? There Is Good News. [online] Available at: <https://healthcare.utah.edu/healthfeed/postings/2022/03/hair-loss-covid19.php> [Accessed 29 April 2022].
Aad.org. 2022. Do you have hair loss or hair shedding?. [online] Available at: <https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/hair-loss/insider/shedding> [Accessed 29 April 2022].