In addition to the havoc COVID-19 can leave on the body, some patients who have overcome the disease are noticing hair loss, and while there appears to be no relationship between respiratory disease and hair loss, experts reveal why. .
Dr. Esther Freeman told Today that there is an increase in the number of people experiencing hair loss during their recovery, taking into account information from a database of 1,000 cases in 38 countries.
This type of alopecia is known as telogen effluvium and is caused by physical or emotional stress. It is a temporary hair shed that can last up to eight months, but sometimes it becomes a chronic problem.
“After experiencing physiological stress, there is a condition that affects the growth cycle of the hair follicles. It is called telogen effluvium and can be seen after many different types of diseases, including malaria and tuberculosis, "Dr. Amesh A. Adalja told the Health site .
Telogen effluvium generally manifests itself three months after the stress episode and affects both men and women.
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The stress caused by this alopecia can be caused by a serious illness, as well as by surgical procedures and other types of triggers, such as the loss of a loved one. "We are not talking about regular daily stress," said dermatologist Angelo Landriscina.
Normal hair loss is between 50 and 100 hairs a day, but a higher number can lead to a diagnosis of telogen effluvium.
Although there is no evidence that the specific coronavirus triggers an abnormal hair loss, any serious disease can generate this type of alopecia, so COVID-19 falls into this category.
"Many people with COVID-19 become seriously ill with high fever and other symptoms, which we know may be related to telogen effluvium. We know that the stress hormone cortisol is released at higher levels during severe illness, and we also know that cortisol can affect hair structures, "said Landriscina.
Not only the physiological stress caused by the disease can cause telogen effluvium, but also the psychological stress derived from the pandemic, with issues related to finances, the death of loved ones and the care of children.
This condition is reversible, and people may notice new hair growth after having this type of alopecia.
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