The past year has certainly been a rollercoaster for everybody, and as individuals, we are still coming to terms with what has been a turbulent time.
There are now numerous studies investigating the side effects of COVID-19 and the lingering consequences after recovery. One of the side effects being investigated is the relationship between Covid-19 and hair loss. According to a new study, nearly a quarter of COVID-19 patients suffer from hair loss within six months of infection, with women at greater risk.
Why Might Covid-19 Cause Hair Loss?
There are many reasons why hair can start to thin, but there are two predominant reasons that Covid-19 and hair loss might go hand-in-hand.
Fever
Having a fever or a temperature is a common symptom of COVID -19, and hair loss is a possibility when recovering from any illness that causes a fever.
Whilst we sometimes think that the hair is thinning, it is actually shedding. The medical name for this type of hair shedding is telogen effluvium. It does not happen straight away but will gradually become more noticeable after two or three months. It occurs when more hairs than normal enter the shedding stage of the hair growth cycle. Due to the long hair growth cycle, the hair may continue to shed for up to six months before it begins to slow down.
Stress
There’s no sugar-coating it – the last year has been tough. The majority of us have been touched by stress due to the world being turned upside down. Even if you haven’t had Covid-19, or have but haven’t experienced symptoms, you might have noticed your hair beginning to shed.
Emotional stress is a suggested cause of telogen effluvium. If you find your hair is beginning to look thinner, the last year’s stress may have been the trigger point. Similarly, if you have struggled with your mental health over the last year, there are links between depression and hair loss.
One of the best things you can do for stress-related hair loss is to remove the source of stress – as things open up and begin to return to normal, hopefully, both Covid-19 and hair loss caused by it will become a thing of the past.
If you are in a position that your hair loss is causing you concern, we suggest contacting your doctor to have a chat. Hopefully, they will be able to offer you advice. If you decide to try out wigs or hairpieces in the meantime, we have a blog post on wearing a wig for the first time and the best hairpieces for hair thinning.
Coping with Covid-19 and hair loss can be difficult. However, we find that reading stories written by people in a similar position to yourself can be helpful. Please check out our posts from people who have dealt with and continue to deal with hair loss on We, That Wear Wigs. You’re not alone, and we have a fabulous community of wig-wearers ready to welcome you!
Looking for an enhancer?
Should you be at the stage where you are considering a topper or enhancer to cover your hair loss from Covid-19, please get in touch with our friendly customer services team here at Simply Wigs. We’re here to help you as much as we can!
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Call us on 01484 844557 and we will gladly share our knowledge with you, and offer you advice on what products to consider.
More from Whispers
Take a look at our Whispers blog, where our lovely community have wrote down their musings about their own personal hair loss journeys.
The comprehensive hair loss guide
I suffered near total hair loss
Can stress cause hair loss
You are certainly not alone and being able to read about another persons thoughts on the subject, can sometimes make you feel supported.
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