COVID-19 linked to Hair Loss

Dr. Esther Freeman, who directs the Dermatology COVID-19 Registry, a database of dermatologic manifestations of COVID-19 that contains 1,000 cases from 38 countries, said that an increasing number of people who are recovering from the coronavirus are reporting hair loss in the aftermath of the illness. It is due to a mechanism called telogen effluvium - a condition that impacts the growth cycle of hair follicles after experiencing stress. 

At any given time, 85-90% of our hair is in a phase called anagen—the growth phase, 1-2% are in a transitional phase called catagen. Up to 10% of our hair is in the telogen or ‘resting phase,’ which is the phase where our hair is normally shed. Some amount of hair shedding is normal, typically losing 50 to 100 hairs a day. In telogen effluvium, a larger than normal portion of our hair moves into the telogen phase and is shed.

This type of hair loss can follow any stressful life event—not only severe illness but also surgery or a serious psychological stressor.

COVID-19 has clearly caused a lot of us stress, and not just physiological stress on the body from an infection, but also many types of stress outside of personal illness, such as financial stress, death of a loved one, and childcare-related issues.

Telogen effluvium typically manifests about three months after the stressful event, and both men and women can be affected. 

Typically, telogen effluvium lasts for up to six months. A person who has had stress-induced hair loss will start to see their hair gradually return to normal as new hair grows. 

People who are experiencing telogen effluvium can apply a topical minoxidil 5% solution. This encourages hair follicles to leave the telogen phase early and return to the anagen or growth phase.