Could the stress caused by Covid-19 make us lose our hair?

Our hair says a lot about our health. While the Covid-19 pandemic has been raging for nearly a year, many people are reporting hair loss, which worries dermatologists.

The first losses come three months later

Hair loss due to stress usually occurs just over three months after a stressful event. For the moment it is difficult to understand exactly why this autumn appears so late. One of the hypotheses put forward is that the body may prematurely force hair to enter a sleep phase during its growth cycle. The hair then becomes thinner and thinner until it falls off the root.

“I have had patients who recently arrived with stress-related hair loss, says Ohara Aivaz, a dermatologist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles (United States). They told me they were worried about dying earlier this year or even that they had contracted Covid-19. However, the effects weren’t seen until three months later. It destabilizes the patient because the stress is gone, yet the physical manifestation is happening now.“

As the pandemic progresses and the anxiety it generates, the talk of hair loss is multiplying across the Atlantic. In the United States, Indiana University Medicine Professor Natalie Lambert has launched a large study to understand where this hair loss comes from.

Thanks to the answers collected on the Facebook group Survivor Corps, dedicated to the “survivors” of Covid-19, was able to identify 98 long-term symptoms in coronavirus patients. Of the 1,500 responses the researcher received, more than 400 reported hair loss. In the testimonies published in the group, some even report that hair falls out in handfuls.

What to do in case of hair loss?

Should you ever lose your hair, dermatologist Ohara Aivaz recommends that you see a doctor first to check your thyroid and see if you are anemic. If stress is really related to hair loss, it is possible to take supplements to strengthen it, but it will take some time to reverse the situation. “If you remove the trigger and the stress level decreases, most of the time the hair loss will stop on its own and the patient will regain the lost hair because his follicles are still active and healthy.

Finally, keep in mind that hair loss can also be accompanied by dandruff, acne breakouts or even eczema, especially in the elderly. In this case, it is advisable to take lukewarm showers and use an odorless soap on the most affected areas, without pushing too hard. “When the skin is very dry, even mild soap can remove natural oils. Do not wash something that is not dirty. Put soap on your hands and avoid the washcloth, which can also strip the skin“, Concludes Ohara Aivaz.