If the coronavirus has something, it is that it never ceases to amaze us. To the dozens of sequelae described and associated with the disease in the last almost and a half year, excessive hair loss is now added as a long-term effect that dermatologists warn about and which is called acute telogen effluvium . It is a disorder similar to that suffered by women after pregnancy or anyone who experiences situations of continued stress, as well as alterations in their body that affect the liver, the kidney or the endocrine system and should not be confused with another class of hair loss such as androgenic alopecia, linked to baldness.
Dr. Julian Rabbit-MirHe is a dermatologist at the Virgen del Rocio Hospital and so he verifies it. “We began to see changes in hair loss after the peak of the first wave, but it is now, when there are already a large number of people who have had Covid, because this type of hair loss occurs after two or three months, that is to say, it is not an immediate effect, when it is happening a lot and we are seeing people withhuge skeins of hair that they have lost in a single day come to the consultation “, points out the dermatologist, who also emphasizes that it is a “recoverable” fall , which does not damage the root, and which affects women in greater proportion.
According to the professional, telogen effluvium is thealteration of the hair more frequent in the consultations. Hair follows a cycle of growth, rest and expulsion., which can be altered by different circumstances. That is why it is essential to assess each case, study the antecedents and rule out that it is another type of capillary alteration. “This hair loss is very common for us. People think that hair is for decoration, but it is really a protein structure that has a lot to do with the general condition of the person. For us it is like a thermometer that allows us to see what happens inside each organism.In fact, most hair loss is related to systemic issues, that is, when there are kidney problems, liver problems, there is anemia, lack of iron, thyroid problems, endocrine problems. .. That is why it is crucial to do an analysisto the patients who come to us with this problem, beyond exploring what the fall itself is, because it is very important to know what is happening”, adds the doctor.
In addition, when the link is an infection by SARS-CoV-2 , the fact that it has caused more serious symptoms in patients may contribute to the appearance of this side effect.”In theory, when the clinical picture is more intense and there are long hospital stays, and even in the ICU, there are more chances of suffering a telogen effluvium because a generalized alert is produced in the organism and this, automatically, when it finds itself in an acute stress syndrome, makes use of many resources. However, the intensity and stresswith which the symptomatology is experienced also influences the magnitude of hair loss”, indicates the specialist.
As for the affectation of this circumstance in patients , the doctor points out that it is usually “very striking” especially in the women, but warns that “there is no need to be alarmed”because it is a matter of months before the hair recovers. “People go to the clinic because they see that their hair is beginning to lighten a lot, but they are not going to go bald. In a few months it comes out again. What happens is that the hair has a slow metabolism and it takes years to restore it and people she wants immediate results and that’s why she gets very nervous. Actually, when you apply a hair treatment, it begins to grow the next day, but it begins to grow from the bulb, that is, from the root, which is embedded in the skin almost a centimeter. To see the results we need two or three months “ , clarifies the doctor.
Precisely, adds the dermatologist, acute telogen effluvium usually disappears after three or four months. Thus, he explains that if the analysis carried out on the patient is not altered and he confirms that he has had Covid, it is normal to add treatments that stimulate hair growth and even assess the use of vitamin supplements to provide the necessary ingredients. However, says the doctor, “it may be enough to have a good diet, practice sports and not get nervous.”
