Can COVID-19 cause an increase in hairfall? How to deal with it?

The current pandemic situation has taught us to expect the unexpected.

However hairloss after a bout of COVID infection may not be so unexpected.

According to research data compiled from recovered COVID-19 patients, many of them have reported moderate to extremely severe hairfall after contracting the infection. The medical name for this type of hair shedding is telogen effluvium. Also the immune reaction that occurs in the body due to covid infection triggers hair fall and immune related hair fall. Hence consulting a specialist at early stages is very important before the hair loss becomes permeant.

Pandemic stress and fatigue are significant contributors to hairloss in COVID as well as non-COVID patients.

Usually the patients with diffuse hair fall may recover in 6-9 months, in which case no active treatment is needed. However, if the condition becomes chronic or the patient has a genetic predisposition to baldness then treatment options for hairloss such as medications and/ PRP/ Mesotherapy become necessary. Consulting a doctor at this stage is crucial to avoid future hairloss.

So, in a nutshell, it’s important to find out the cause of your hair fall, have patience (about 3-6 months) and follow the doctor’s advice.  And here are a few tips that can help stop hair loss:

 

• Eat a nutritious well balanced diet.
• Exercise regularly.
• Get sufficient sleep.
• Reduce mental stress (you can practice breathing exercises or meditation).
• Don’t overzealously comb your hair with fine bristle combs.
• If you are not able to handle the hair fall, seek help from a doctor immediately.