Hair fall after COVID 19

• By Harleys Clinic
• May, 07 2021

Hair fall after COVID 19

Hair fall after recovery from COVID 19 is a common complaint nowadays. Fever is a common symptom of COVID 19. But apart from fever, the emotional stress & anxiety of going through illness can force the hair into shedding phase. Although having some hair fall after a high fever or recovering from an illness is expected. But some people may notice excessive shedding and hair fall in clumps, 2-3 months after COVID
19.

The medical term for this type of shedding is Telogen effluvium. The hair cycle has three phases

1. Anagen or growing phase
    
2. Catagen or transitional phase
    
3. Telogen or resting phase
   
   Normally only upto 10% of hair are in the Telogen phase & 90% are growing. In TE the anagen phase slows down, meaning that fewer hair enters the growing phase. With this condition 30% of the hair follicles are pushed into telogen phase and excessive hair shedding happens.
   Normally people can loose upto 100 hairs a day. But in Telogen effluvium you may loose upto 300 hairs a day. And that itself may cause lot of anxiety and distress.
   Hair shedding typically starts two to three months after the episode of fever or illness. Handfuls of hair can come when you shower or brush the hair. You may see them on the pillow or floor of your house. The hair shedding can last for six to nine months. However the good news is that Telogen effluvium is temporary, and the hair will gradually grow
   back. As the hair grows slowly, it may take a while for your hair to get back its original fullness and strength. While people may be tempted to try hair regrowth supplements and products they see online/ drugstore shelves. But these may be of limited help. Instead focus on developing
   healthy life style. Avoid getting stressed about hair fall, eat nutrient rich diet, & stop smoking.
   Understanding the fact that COVID 19 induced hair fall is not permanent & the hair will grow back, is critical for patients. If you have other symptoms apart from hair loss, like rash, itching , burning than consult your physician or hair-loss expert.