Over and above dealing with uncomfortable and threatening symptoms of Covid, such as loss of taste and fatigue, individuals report concerns regarding hair loss after infection (1). The nature of reports continue to evolve and medical researchers are assessing the link between Covid and hair loss, determining that it may all boil down to heightened stress from Covid and the pandemic.
What the Scientists Say About Covid and Hair Loss
To understand how Covid-related stress influences hair loss, we need to look no further than claims from a board-certified dermatologist and founder of Visha Skincare, Purvisha Patel, MD (2). Patel, MD echoes recent medical publications that note a link between Covid a type of hair shedding called telogen effluvium (TE) (3).
TE is triggered by heightened levels of physical and mental stress, commonly attributed to the devastating impact of Covid from a biological and socio-economic perspective. Furthermore, serious illness can contribute to the development of TE, making Covid an even stronger contributor to the development of the condition. The continued concerns around Covid, despite over 63,1% of people around the world receiving at least one dose of vaccination, may sustain the impact of TE and hair fall out from Covid (4).
How Covid-Related Stress is Linked to Hair Loss
To explore how Covid-related stress is linked to hair loss further, we need to develop a deeper understanding of the hair growth cycle. Growing hair enters a state called anagen and then, after three to 10 years transitions through the catagen phase to the telogen phase, a resting state where the old hair begins to fall out over a period of three to four months.
Heightened stress levels can disrupt the hair growth cycle as stressors influence chemicals in the body responsible for controlling the natural flow of the cycle. Stressors can cause the hair to shift from the anagen state to the telogen state prematurely, contributing to a higher frequency of hair loss periods. The most common contributors to stress that causes hair loss are childbirth, surgery, and hospitalization, and Covid is now being spotlighted as a new addition to these main influencers.
The link becomes more apparent considering that the body requires energy to grow hair. As individuals experience extreme stress, the body responds by allocating energy to combat an increase in stressors and other imbalances in one’s biochemical state. Furthermore, one may be experiencing Covid-related stress that causes hair loss but only see the effects later on as the body shifts between phases in the growth cycle unnaturally.
How Covid Can Contribute to Hair Fall Out
Recent evidence points towards Covid-related stress being a primary contributor to TE hair loss as the infection impacts the body in a variety of harmful ways. According to Patel, MD, “it seems that the stress from lack of oxygenation to the hair follicles, the fever, and the stress on the body can push hair follicles into the resting phase”.
Medical professionals continue to assess the long-term impacts of Covid, and one study argues that among the most common sustained symptoms, such as fatigue, anxiety, and depression, was hair loss, with up to 22 percent of the subject pool experiencing hair loss sometime after Covid infection (5).
Patel, MD reports that the impact of TE hair loss is substantial as “the follicles are loose and the full length of the hair falls out easily”. Some may notice thinning of the hair over time while others can experience the loss of large clumps of hair with a single brush. TE as a result of Covid is, therefore, an extremely uncomfortable and concerning condition that individuals should target by reducing stress levels as soon as possible.
How to Prevent Hair Loss From Covid
While TE is an extremely uncomfortable and concerning condition, it is temporary and individuals can reduce the impact or eliminate the experience by reducing stress levels in the body. The American Academy of Dermatology reports that “by the time the hair falls out, the body is already beginning to reset, as long as there are no additional changes or triggers” (6). This is positive to note as individuals can quickly seek remedies for Covid hair loss after noticing an unnatural loss of hair.
In most cases, receiving the right nutrients and minerals to support the hair growth cycle as well as combat stress in the body is the primary method of dealing with hair loss from Covid. This can be done through a combination of a healthy diet, such as a green Mediterranean diet, and a high-quality health supplement that is formulated to reduce hair loss.
Research Verified® Hair Growth is a science-backed supplement that contains a formula of powerful ingredients responsible for the natural progression of the hair growth cycle. The formula includes a range of beneficial ingredients that provide the body with vital nutrients. Some of these ingredients include Saw Palmetto, Ginkgo Biloba, and Tocopheryl Acetate.
Saw Palmetto for Hair Loss
Promising research suggests that Saw Palmetto can improve hair count as the ingredient may block the production of specific enzymes, such as 5-alpha-reductase, that influence the production of DHT responsible for hair loss (7).
Ginkgo Biloba for Hair Loss
Ginkgo Biloba provides the body with high levels of important Vitamins necessary for minimizing the impact of stress on hair loss. Typically, Ginkgo Biloba is used to strengthen the hair follicles and reduce inflammation of the scalp that may inhibit the natural hair growth cycle (8).
Tocopheryl Acetate for Hair Loss
Tocopheryl Acetate is the most potent form of Vitamin E, an essential nutrient that helps the body fight oxidative stress and reduce the levels of free radicals responsible for negatively impacting the natural hair growth cycle. Studies have shown a link between Tocopheryl Acetate supplementation and reduced oxidative stress, supporting the notion that Vitamin E can minimize the impact of Covid-related stress on hair loss (9).
In Conclusion
A powerful hair growth supplement can be your ticket to reducing hair loss as a result of Covid-stress, helping individuals minimize the impact of long-term symptoms that cause uncomfortable health conditions. Clinically-proven ingredients can boost your hair growth and restore your confidence so you can be back and better than ever after Covid.
