Hair Loss After Covid: What To Know?

Long-term adverse effects of COVID-19 infection have caused a number of disastrous symptoms, such as loss of taste and smell, mental fog, and exhaustion. Loss of hair was cited as another typical symptom. This side effect often goes away fast, despite the fact that it could be one of the most alarming.

Why Does Hair Fall Happen?

Patients with SARS-CoV-2 infections may see clumps of hair breaking out when they regularly comb or wash their hair in the shower. This can be due to physical or environmental stress or possibly increased autoimmune inflammatory response due to COVID. Telogen effluvium is the name given to the illness. On our scalp, approximately 90% of hairs are in the anagen phase of development, while only 10% are in the telogen period of rest.

After anagen, which lasts for around three years, our scalp enters telogen, which lasts between two & six months. Our hairs slip out of the follicles as telogen comes to an end, and new anagen hairs finally take their place. Then the growth cycle resumes.

People lose between 100 and 150 hairs every day on average. However, when a person goes through a stressful event, like contracting COVID-19, our bodies may prematurely convert a higher-than-usual percentage of growing anagen hairs into a resting telogen condition. Up to 50% of hairs are resting and shedding, which is far higher than the typical 10% and is a sign of healthy hair growth.

What Is the Duration of Hair Shedding?

The good news is that telogen effluvium often goes away three to six months after the extra hairs that were prematurely transplanted into telogen have fallen out. Following a triggering event, such as COVID-19 infection, this unique recovery occurs.

The hairs will gradually resume their regular appearance once that period has passed. The loss of hair follicles is not a result of telogen effluvium. The hair follicles are still present, so even if hair doesn't grow for a period, it will eventually regrow.

Even after the shedding has stopped, patients could find their hair is thinner than it has ever been. This is because the average monthly growth of hair is just about one centimeter.

It can take more than two years for new hair to grow out to shoulder length and for a ponytail to feel full once more for someone with shoulder-length hair.

Less than 10% of patients may experience chronic telogen effluvium, a condition in which excessive hair loss can continue for longer than six months. This can endure for a few months to a few years, and the cause is typically not immediately apparent. In this case, we use medical therapy to address the symptoms as well as possible.

Chronic telogen effluvium signs and symptoms can occur in COVID patients. This is most likely a result of their bodies' ongoing recovery from intense stress and lack of complete normalcy.

They won't completely lose their hair if they have chronic telogen effluvium because the proportion of telogen hairs is never higher than 50%.

Infection With COVID-19 and Hair Loss

According to published research, hair loss with COVID-19 infection may begin a little earlier than typical. Instead of three months, it can be closer to two months before an initiating event. Other studies have found that recuperation often takes two to three months as opposed to the usual six months.

Treatments

Treatment for a condition like hair loss calls for patience and perseverance. The best thing we can do as carers is to reassure patients that their hair will grow back and that this is a self-limited disorder.

Taking medication during an acute phase is not advised. For people who are still shedding four to six months after the outset, however, medication or other treatments make sense.

Any type of hair loss can cause severe emotional stress, which, if left untreated, can, in turn, cause hair loss. While being upset is totally reasonable, empowering patients to keep track of their own progress at home and emphasizing the value of stress management is crucial for a speedy recovery.

Vitamins for Hair Growth

Some vitamins, like biotin, vitamin A, and vitamin, all contribute to the development of a full, healthy head of hair. It can be a good idea to include a vitamin supplement in your hair care regimen if you're lacking in any of these hair loss vitamins.

However, it's critical to understand the distinction between pharmacological therapies for male pattern baldness and vitamins for maximum hair and scalp health.

Vitamins like biotin (vitamin B7) help you produce healthy, strong hair, but there is no scientific evidence that they have any impact on male pattern baldness.

The only effective treatment for male pattern baldness, which is brought on by sensitivity to DHT, is to inhibit DHT using a medication like finasteride.

This isn't to say that taking a vitamin supplement is a bad idea; in fact, it's typically a really smart move in terms of overall health and welfare. Just keep in mind that including vitamins in your morning routine won't stop genetic hair loss or a receding hairline.

Would you like to increase your vitamin consumption to benefit your hair? Our Biotin Gummy Vitamins include essential elements for proper digestion and well-being, as well as a variety of vitamins to support thick hair, strong nails, and healthy skin.

In addition, there is now little scientific data to support the effectiveness of additional hair growth devices, such as laser combs, helmets, and other items.

There are a tonne of hair growth products on the market, including FDA-approved pharmaceuticals, amino acid supplements, hair masks, and scalp serums, all of which assert that their main ingredient is the key to thicker hair.

Other hair products don't have nearly as much proof behind them as prescriptions like finasteride and minoxidil, which have current, credible research to back them up.