Hair loss in COVID-19: new symptom or coincidence

COVID-19 seems to have thrown us a new problem: many people who have been ill note that they have more hair left on the comb, and less and less on their head, says Blueprint.

“I think I showed you what # Covid19 does to your hair. Please take it seriously ”- with this caption, actress Alyssa Milano published a video on Instagram in which she combed and shows how much hair remains in her hands and on the comb. A lot of.

British makeup artist Grace Dudley also spoke about the giant clumps of hair that remained on the pillow: she was in the hospital for two weeks, and a month later her hair began to fall out. And so actively that the girl decided to shave baldly.

And these cases are far from unique: on social media support groups like Survivor Corps on Facebook, where coronavirus patients share research and personal experiences, you can find hundreds of stories of people calling themselves Long-Hauler - these are patients suffering or thinking who suffer from long-term symptoms of COVID-19 (Milano's post is tagged with #LongHauler). And dozens of these stories will tell just about hair loss after suffering a coronavirus. It is important to note that no serious medical research on this phenomenon has yet been carried out: typical work in this direction is conducted by Dr. Lambert of Indiana University, a survey of participants in those very support groups.

Three reasons

“Testimonies from patients who associate hair loss directly with covid have become more frequent,” confirms Trichologist Khristina Hovsepyan. - The reasons may be different. For example, taking various kinds of drugs that can have a toxic effect on the body and, as a result, provoke hair loss. But in order to say for sure, you need to understand what drugs were used for the therapy, and then the picture of hair correction will be clear. "

Hair loss in coronavirus survivors can be explained by the immune response. “COVID-19, like other viral infections, provokes immunity, thereby stimulating autoimmune responses. Let me clarify a little: autoimmune reactions are a manifestation of the struggle of immunity with foreign agents, during which it also affects its own cells, - says Christina Zyryanova, a dermatologist. - This is the so-called cytokine storm - a situation when immunocompetent cells release a large amount of cytokines (substances that kill foreign cells, viruses and bacteria). During a cytokine storm, the body's own cells can also die. " Christina notes that hair follicles are very immune-dependent, as a result of which they may suffer more often than others with the manifestation of autoimmune reactions - this may be associated with loss.

But even if there is no question of a cytokine storm, countering covid can still affect the quality of the hair: when the immune system resists, the body's resources are diverted to fight the virus and protect vital organs. There is no time for hair. Hair stylist Alexey Nagorsky also agrees with the doctors:

“Coronavirus strongly suppresses the immune system and is associated with the intake of potent medications - both can affect the phases of hair growth. As a result, they will fall out 3-6 months after the illness - apparently, this is exactly what happened to Alissa, who was ill at the end of March, ”says Nagorsky.

Finally, each of the interviewed speakers mentions stress as one of the main factors of postcoid loss, and stress can be both physical - high fever and illness in itself, and emotional - for example, losing a job, fear for loved ones or fear of oneself not up to the end of the studied COVID-19 (which means that you can lose hair from coronavirus, even without having been ill). All this can lead to telogen loss.

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If you explain it on the fingers, the process looks like this. About 85–90 percent of a healthy person's hair is in the anagen phase, or active growth. The rest of the hair is in the resting stage, that is, the telogen phase. Hair stays in the anagen phase for two to four years and then moves into the telogen phase where it falls out and is replaced with new ones: so hair loss is normal and don't be alarmed if you find hairs on a pillow or comb. Losing 80-100 hairs a day is normal. It is another matter when more hair enters the resting phase and, as a result, falls out. This condition is called telogen prolapse.

Many solutions

What to do? If you are faced with telogen loss, you can just wait - as a rule, this phenomenon is temporary. But the best solution would still be to contact a trichologist, because the fallout may not be due to a coronavirus, but a whole set of reasons: from a change of season or an improper diet to heredity and hormonal disruption.

“Hair loss is a multifactorial condition that can have a variety of origins. There are certain diagnostic methods for each of the conditions: hormonal studies, biochemical and genetic tests, says Hristina Hovsepyan. “Only a doctor should deal with the treatment of hair loss, since alopecia is a complex condition that requires a thorough approach.”

Kristina Zyryanova also notes that to solve the problem of hair loss, complex therapy is needed, which includes both taking medications and external therapeutic techniques.

“The choice of the path of treatment is carried out after the examination, which is determined by the trichologist, sometimes in conjunction with other specialists,” says Zyryanova. “Local procedures include anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic physiotherapeutic procedures using therapeutic lotions, serums and gels, mesotherapy and PRP-therapy.”

As for all kinds of vitamins and supplements for oral administration, it is still better to consult your doctor before purchasing them.

“Dietary supplements are a controversial thing. They can give an effect, but only with the correct appointment and correct determination of the cause of the loss, says Alexey Nagorsky. - It's not candy. Each biologically active drug will have contraindications, side effects. Even harmless fish oil in large quantities can be harmful. "

Also, a hair stylist does not advise turning to traditional medicine: masks with pepper, mustard and other products to improve blood circulation - there is a risk of getting a skin burn.

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At the same time, there are absolutely harmless options for applying to the scalp: all kinds of drugs in ampoules, lotions and serums, which are sold in pharmacies and cosmetic stores without a prescription.

Here are the components to look for inside:

• aminexil (it "softens" collagen around the hair follicle and prevents hair loss)
• nicotinic acid (it works as an irritating factor: it provides blood flow, improves tissue trophism)
• stemoxidin (awakens dormant follicles and stimulates new hair growth) and antioxidants such as resveratrol

But Alexey does not recommend prescribing serums with hormones: if the problem is not hormonal, the results may be unpredictable, as well as the consequences of stopping such treatment.

In the end, it is possible to visually enlarge the foot by using densifying care products in combination with densifying styling products. Let the hair go away, but it will appear thicker - and almost instantly.

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