PEOPLE who contract Covid have been losing their hair months after getting infected, a doctor has warned.
It’s thought that millions of people globally are now suffering with long-Covid and one doctor says hair loss is due to post-inflammation after catching the bug.
Telogen effluvium (TE) is when a person temporarily experiences hair loss and is usually the result of stress.
When a person contracts Covid their body is placed under stress – this is due both to the virus and physical symptoms such as a cough or loss of taste or smell.
One expert said there are a myriad of issues caused by the virus, that in turn causes their hair to fall out.
Shahin Nooreyezdan, consultant in cosmetic and plastic surgery at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals in New Delhi, said the fact some people also struggle to eat with Covid – can deplete their nutrient reserves – which again could lead to hair loss.
He said: “We have seen a two-fold rise in the number of patients complaining of problems related to hair loss.
“Post Covid-19 inflammation has been a major contributor here. The deficiencies caused by a compromised nutritional intake, sudden changes in weight, hormonal disturbances and reduced vitamin D and B12 levels are some of the major reasons for the large volumes of hair loss post-Covid-19.”
Hair loss is known as one symptom of long-Covid and Dr Shanin said it could last up to three months.
Another expert told International Business Times that the reason hair loss occurs, is because the growth of hair follicles is halted due to the infection.
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Sachin Dhawan, consultant at the Department of Dermatology at Fortis Memorial Research Institute, said: “It pushes the hair into the shedding or dead phase (telogen phase). And the dead hair sheds off after a few weeks automatically.”
The experts explained that people recovering from Covid-19 should try and pay more attention to their diet, in order to supplement any vitamins and minerals that had been lost.
They recommend eating a nutritious diet high in vitamins and iron and supplementing with biotin and amino acids.
This they said, is because an iron deficiency can accelerate hair loss.
