Why Does COVID-19 Cause Hair Loss and What Can Be Done About It?
According to Tymeless Necessity Hair, the great majority of COVID-related hair loss is caused by telogen effluvium, a stress-related hair loss. The good news is that telogen effluvium is reversible; most patients’ hair will regrow after six to eight months.
Covid-19 And Hair Loss
As the COVID-19 pandemic spreads worldwide, hair loss cases have increased dramatically. Hundreds of thousands of Covid-19 patients are experiencing hair loss during or immediately after the infection.
Alyssa Milano, a Hollywood celebrity, shared a video about how she lost her hair after contracting the illness. To watch her harrowing hair loss account, click here.
Many doctors believe that hair loss is a long-term effect of this virus. Patients who experience hair loss from SARS-CoV-2 infection may notice clumps of hair falling out during their daily combings or while washing their hair in the shower. The phenomenon is known as telogen effluvium.
In this post, we will discuss the connection between COVID-19 and hair loss and how to rectify this issue.
Why Does Covid-19 Result In Hair Loss?
There is currently no solid evidence linking COVID to hair loss. However, doctors believe that COVID may cause reversible hair loss (i.e., telogen effluvium). This is due to the tremendous physical and emotional stress that COVID-19 sufferers face.
Researchers have identified the following risk factors and causes for telogen effluvium:
- Severe emotional distress
- Excessive core temperature
- Difficult procedures
To comprehend telogen effluvium, we must first review the stages of hair growth.
Hair follicles go through multiple cycles to grow, including:
- Anagen – a long growing phase
- Catagen – A brief period of growth
- Telogen – A dormant state
- Exogen – A phase of release
When the final phase (i.e., the exogen phase) concludes, the hair follicles fall out, allowing new ones to form and continue the cycle.
“Every day, approximately 40 hairs enter the exogen phase,” explains Rani Chetty, founder of Tymeles Necessity Hair. “This equates to women losing roughly 40 hair follicles every day, while men can lose up to 78 hairs per day. This is all normal. However, if you begin to lose more than 100 hairs every day, you are no longer dealing with physiological processes.”
Telogen effluvium occurs when your hair quickly transitions from the catagen to the telogen phase. As a result, the hair begins to fall out with no new follicles to replace it.
Covid-19 Causes Elevated Stress
Psychological stress is a normal aspect of life. Family conflicts, academic tests, and unpleasant work situations are all common sources of this stress. This form of stress is required to keep us going and attain our objectives.
That being said, for stress to be good, it must be moderate and brief. In comparison, COVID-19 causes severe or chronic stress. This type of mental state harms all organ systems, including your integumentary system (e.g., hair, nails).
Hair Loss, Covid-19, And Autoimmune Illnesses
While the great majority of COVID-19-related hair loss is caused by telogen effluvium, a fraction of individuals have autoimmune-triggered hair loss.
COVID-19 is caused by a coronavirus subtype. As you may know, viral infection is a common cause of autoimmune illnesses.
Alopecia areata (AA) is the term for the autoimmune condition that causes hair loss. Hair loss induced by AA is usually irreparable. Early medical intervention, on the other hand, may lessen the damage.
“The problem with AA is that it is difficult to distinguish from other types of hair loss. As a result, seeing your doctor is still the best course of action in this case,” adds Rani.
Preventing Stress-Related Hair Loss
Eating healthier foods, exercising more frequently, and incorporating stress-relieving activities into your routine are the most significant ways to avoid stress-related hair loss.
It is also critical to provide your hair follicles with the nutrition they require. If this is not achievable through diet, consider taking supplements.
You should also learn how to manage your emotions. Meditation, yoga, and music may be beneficial in this regard. If everything else fails, you might consider seeing a therapist who employs cognitive-behavioural therapy techniques.
How to Restore Stress-Induced Hair Loss
When you develop COVID-19-related hair loss, the first thing you should do is see your primary care physician or a dermatologist.
You may be tempted to try “magical” solutions for telogen effluvium at some point along your journey. We urge that you avoid trying any strange cures or products not approved by health care practitioners. Instead, prioritise eating healthier foods, increasing physical activity, and engaging in anxiolytic activities (e.g., yoga, meditation). This may help to hasten your recuperation.
You can also try the following suggestions:
- Natural home treatments that you previously tried and have worked.
- Avoiding hairstyles that tug on your hair, as this can cause traction alopecia.
- Not heating, bleaching, perming, and colouring your hair.
Common Questions and Answers
1. When does COVID-related hair loss usually begin?
When it comes to COVID-related hair loss, there are no hard and fast rules. In general, your hair will begin to fall out 2–3 months after the stress begins. As a result, hair loss may occur during or after the infection depending on the length of your sickness. For example, some patients need more than three months to fully recover from COVID. These patients may experience hair loss before fully healing. Telogen effluvium occurs after healing in most COVID patients who recover in 2 to 3 weeks.
2. How long will COVID hair loss last?
After six to eight months, the majority of patients’ hair is restored. Adopting a healthier lifestyle can assist in reducing this time.
If Alopecia areata is the source of your hair loss, the damage may be permanent.
3. Is it possible to regrow hair after suffering from telogen effluvium?
Telogen effluvium typically causes 300 hair follicles to fall out per day.
The good news is that this is a reversible disorder. Your hair will grow back to normal after a few months without any interventions.
4. What can you do about hair loss after COVID?
After learning about telogen effluvium and how long it takes to reverse, you may wish to investigate interim remedies. For example, wearing a comfortable wig or hair system can assist in concealing thinning hair.
Are you looking for wigs or hair systems? See our selection of men’s hair systems and women’s wigs below for additional information.
Message To Remember
Telogen effluvium, or stress-related hair loss, is a very prevalent ailment that most people are unaware of. Unfortunately, desperate patients spend thousands of Rands on pseudoscientific remedies with no proof of true benefit.
We hope that this article has helped you understand the connection between COVID and hair loss and how to treat it.
If you have any questions or concerns about COVID-related hair loss, please leave your comments in the space below.
If you need assistance in purchasing a wig or hair system to temporarily conceal your losing hair, you may also contact us for a free consultation.
For more information on our products, log onto https://tymelesshairwigs.com, or book your FREE consultation by calling 072 438 7617 / 071 467 2042.
Tymeless Necessity Hair is a proud partner of CANSA.
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