Did you suffer from hair loss during the pandemic after contracting Covid-19?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) does not include hair loss on its list of Covid 19 symptoms, however their is quite a bit of data that show a link between the two.
Here’s what we know so far about COVID-19 and hair loss.
Hair loss has been seen in women who are considered to be "long haulers." Long haulers are people who have recovered from a covid-19 infection, but still suffer from lingering symptoms several months after infection.
Doctors and researchers currently believe it's the added stress that accompanies a covid-19 infection that is causing telogen effluvium- a form of hair loss.
COVID-19 can lead to a reversible hair loss condition called telogen effluvium.
Telogen effluvium is a temporary form of hair loss after a shock to the body.
In a normal healthy person's scalp, about 85% of the hair follicles are actively growing hair (anagen hair) and about 15% are resting hair (telogen hair). A hair follicle usually grows anagen hair for 4 years or so, then rests for about 4 months.
This "shock" can cause as many as 70% of the anagen hairs to prematurely shift into telogen, thus reversing the usual ratio.
Here are some potential triggers of telogen effluvium:
- magor surgery (anesthesia)
- emotional distress
- sicknesses that include high fever
- Endocrine disorders (hypo/hyper thyroidism)
When any of these factors occur, the body will shift your hair growth (prematurely) into the telogen phase. The telogen phase is the resting phase of the hair growth cycle and this premature shift usually results in hair loss.
So what is the treatment for telogen effluvium?
For the most past Telogen effluvium tends to be self-correcting. However here are a few things you can do:
- make sure to give you hair a little more TLC by avoiding vigorous combing or brushing. Also avoid pulling your hair into tight ponytails or buns.
- Treat any underlying scalp disorder or hormonal problem determined, if any
- Ensure a well balanced diet.
- See a doctor to correct any abnormality in thyroid function, or other health ailments that might be contributing
Doctors and physicians currently believe it's the added stress that accompanies a covid-19 infection that is causing telogen effluvium.
We know it's been stressful out there Kizzy's. It's really hard to believe 2022 is right around the corner. One thing we like to do here at the Kizzy offices even when life gets hard-is lean into and focus on the things you are grateful for!
See ya on the flip side,
Jen