COVID-19 and hair loss

Have you contracted COVID-19? Then your biggest concern shouldn't really be that you could lose a lot of hair due to the virus.

COVID-19 has claimed the lives of millions of people worldwide, and many of those who have recovered have suffered acute and possibly
permanent damage.

The virus can cause a variety of symptoms, including hair loss in some cases.

If you are indeed affected by COVID-19 related hair loss, anxiety and uncertainty are likely to put a strain on your mental
health, potentially making the situation worse. Fortunately, we have good news.

Hair loss due to COVID-19 is largely reversible. It is due to a type of hair loss that occurs when your body is stressed
and usually your hair should grow back as soon as the stress is over.

To understand how it all works, let's start with some basic facts about the hair cycle.

How much hair loss is normal?

The average person has around 100,000 hairs on their head and it is completely normal to lose up to 150 hairs a day.

It's not just normal - it's actually important that these hairs fall out so that your body can regrow new and healthy hairs
.

What is not normal is if you lose significantly more hair than usual over a longer period of time. This can be a sign
that your hair cycle is disrupted and you are suffering from what is known as telogen effluvium, i.e. a type of diffuse hair loss. You've caught it
- COVID-19-related hair loss also falls into this category.

Every hair on your head goes through three phases of the hair cycle over a period of up to 6 years, but only two of them are relevant to this
topic: The anagen phase and the telogen phase. If everything is in order with your hair, around 90% of your hair is in the anagen
growth phase and only around 10% is in the telogen shedding phase.

Telogen effluvium

Telogen effluvium is typically caused by things like stress, nutritional deficiencies or trauma due to accidents or surgical
procedures with general anesthesia. Such trauma can also occur due to a viral infection, especially if accompanied by a high fever.

As already mentioned, the key to understanding COVID-19-related hair loss is the so-called telogen effluvium: a condition in which significantly
more than the usual 10% of your hair migrates into the telogen shedding phase.

The good news is that in most cases, this type of hair loss is only temporary, meaning your hair cycle
usually stabilizes again after 3-6 months. Nevertheless, it makes sense to start treatment as soon as possible, as the lost hair does not always grow back on its own
.

Other causes possible

Just because you tested positive for COVID-19 some time before the onset of hair loss does not mean that the infection is also the
cause of the hair loss.

Traction alopecia, for example, is caused by trauma to the follicle in the form of traction on the hair root
.

It can be caused by emotional stress and associated stress disorders, which can lead to
literally pulling your hair out. In most cases, however, tightly tied ponytails or hairstyles such as cornrows etc. are the trigger for
traction alopecia.

Another type of hair loss based on an autoimmune disease is also known as circular hair loss or alopecia areata
.

This results in a malfunction of our immune system. The body's own defense cells are controlled incorrectly and are directed
against the components of the hair. The hair follicles are damaged, as a result of which the hair can no longer be formed as usual and eventually
falls out.

Circular hair loss can occur in different patterns and cycles.

Hair loss can be small and patchy, but can also be extensive.

The affected areas can jump from one spot to another, they can grow over and reappear elsewhere
. As the name suggests, the spots are often circular
in shape.

Even though hair loss usually only affects the hair on the head or beard, it can also occur on other parts of the body
(alopecia universalis) and in acute cases can even lead to the complete loss of body hair (alopecia totalis), meaning that not a single hair remains on the entire body
.

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What can you do?

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, there are several topical serums that can help you stop excessive
hair loss as quickly as possible. By far the most effective of these is minoxidil.

Minoxidil stimulates the regrowth of dormant hair follicles. Independent studies show that the use of minoxidil over a
period of 48 weeks increases hair thickness and can significantly increase the number of hairs.

Another very effective and non-invasive treatment method is low level laser therapy. Low level laser
therapy (LLLT) is a modern treatment method for hair loss and hair thinning. It is a method with a very
promising effect, especially in combination with topical serums such as minoxidil and nutritional supplements. Thanks to its cell-regenerative effect, LLLT indirectly increases blood circulation in the hairy area of the head without causing any undesirable side effects. It is absolutely painless, harmless and free of any side effects.

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Don't rush things...

The next step to get your hair back in top form is therefore a holistic treatment that contains the above-mentioned treatment elements
in combination. But before you click on Order Now in an online store or run to your local pharmacy, it is important
to consult a trichologist, i.e. a specialist in the field of scalp and hair.  

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