• Healthy State
  • Careers
  • Education
  • Research
  • Giving
Ochsner Health Ochsner Health
  • About
  • Find A Doctor (current)
  • Find A Location
  • Specialties & Treatments
MyOchsner Logo
Login | Signup
Submit Search magnifying glass icon
Close Search X icon
  • icon of a house   Home
  • In To Your Health...
  • Food & Fitness
  • Conditions & Treatment
  • Health Trends
  • Prevention & Wellness
  • Women's Health
  • Men's Health
  • Mental Health
  • Parenting
  • I need to...
  • Find a Doctor
  • Find a Location
  • Find a Specialty
  • Schedule an Appointment
  • Pay a Bill
  • Explore
  • About Ochsner
  • Careers
  • Patients & Visitors
  • "To Your Health" Blog
  • Health Resources
  • Medical Professionals
  • Education
  • Philanthropy
  • Community Outreach
  • Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
  • Research
  • Ochsner Health Network
  • Schedule an Appointment
  • Call: 1-866-624-7637
  • Online: Login to MyOchsner
  • Personalize your content
  • patient Edit Persona Persona Chooser
To Your Health

View Newsletter Editions
  • Food & Fitness
  • Conditions & Treatment
  • Health Trends
  • Prevention & Wellness
  • Women's Health
  • Men's Health
  • Mental Health
  • Parenting
Hair loss

Does COVID-19 Cause Hair Loss?

Jan 24, 2022 |
By Kelli D. Hall, MD
Share Facebook Logo Twitter Logo Pinterest Logo Email Logo

If you had COVID-19 or if you feel emotionally spent as the pandemic drags on, you may believe you’re literally pulling your hair out.

Well, you might not be pulling it out, but COVID-19 could have a hand in your hair loss. For some, thinning hair is yet another agonizing byproduct of the virus.

Recent studies have shown that COVID-19 infection and the stressors associated with the pandemic are causing “acute telogen effluvium,” a form of temporary hair loss throughout the scalp that usually happens after stress, an illness, or a traumatic event.

The good news for those experiencing this form of hair loss is that your hair should eventually return to normal and acute telogen effluvium is a temporary condition.

The Stress of It All

Hair loss has many causes. Anemia (low blood count), thyroid disease, physical stressors (such as quick weight loss), mental stressors, general anesthesia, being post-partum and major illnesses (especially those causing fever) can all trigger acute telogen effluvium. As the COVID-19 pandemic drags on, we’re becoming familiar with another cause: COVID-19.

This non-scarring hair loss can be sudden and dramatic for some people. Various forms of severe physical or emotional distress can prematurely cause up to 70 percent of your hair to exit the growth phase and enter into the “telogen” or resting phase of the hair cycle. Your body becomes more focused on repairing itself than on growing hair during the stressful event. Hairs don’t grow during the telogen phase, but they don’t usually fall out either. The resting hairs remain in the follicle until they are pushed out by the growth of a new hair. The hairs will typically be pushed out or shed approximately 2-3 months after the stressful event. Seeing large amounts of hair being shed at once can cause significant distress. A person with this condition does not lose all their hair, although it unfortunately may become noticeably thin.

The American Academy of Dermatology says even if you never had the virus or developed a fever from it, you may still see hair shedding. Stress from any physical or emotional event, including childbirth, major surgery, or a job loss, can also force more hairs than normal into this resting phase. Raise your hand if you have been feeling more stressed and anxious during this pandemic?

Some research on this topic has been conducted. A report in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology found a 400 percent increase in acute telogen effluvium cases in the dermatology clinics at two New York City hospitals between March 1, 2020 and August 31, 2020, compared to a similar period before the pandemic.

What To Do

While finding wads of hair on a brush or in the shower can add to your stress, it’s important to try to de-stress as much as possible. Only when the stress ends will the excessive hair shedding stop. When the cause of your hair shedding is due to a fever, illness, or stress, hair tends to return to normal on its own. Give it time. As your hair grows back, you’ll notice short hairs that are all the same length by your hairline. Most people see their hair regain its normal fullness within six to nine months.

You should see a dermatologist if the hair loss persists longer than nine months.

You may also want to see a dermatologist if you suspect that your hair loss is caused by something other than telogen effluvium from stress or a fever.

Learn more about dermatologist Kelli Hall, MD


Tags
baldness
hair
covid

You may also be interested in:

Bald men with beard
Conditions & Treatment
January 12, 2022

What Causes Balding in Men?

Blaming Mom for being bald? Folk wisdom has it that baldness comes from the mother’s side of the family, but recent studies indicate that the genetic component is more complicated.
By Jessica Chu, MD
Hair loss
Conditions & Treatment
April 30, 2021

Why is My Hair Falling Out?

Hair loss, also known as alopecia, can occur at any age and when it happens, it can be devastating. While some hair loss is temporary, some can be permanent.
By Jessica Chu, MD
Getty Images 918555712 720x481 de33d6bb a33b 45b1 9176 49eb9874b9ba
Prevention & Wellness
November 20, 2020

Do Gummies for Hair Growth Work?

We’ve all seen the celebrity-endorsed ads on our social channels for hair gummies promising to make your hair grow. But do they actually work? We break down the benefits, or lack thereof, of these increasingly popular gummies.
By Linda McElveen, MD

email envelop icon Comments about the blog? Send us an email!

Ochsner Health Ochsner Health
Schedule An Appointment: 1-866-624-7637
Follow us: Facebook Visit Ochsner Health on Facebook Twitter Follow Ochsner Health on Twitter LinkedIn Visit Ochsner Health's LinkedIn page Instagram Follow Ochsner Health on Instagram YouTube Subscribe to Ochsner Health on YouTube Pinterest Follow Ochsner Health on Pinterest TikTok Follow Ochsner Health on TikTok
Sign up for our free health and wellness newsletters delivered straight to your inbox.
SIGN UP

Patients & Visitors

  • Billing & Financial Services
  • Insurance Information
  • International Patients
  • Request Medical Records
  • Share Your Story
  • Read Patient Stories

Medical Professionals

  • Transfer a Patient
  • Refer a Patient

Health Resources

  • To Your Health Blog
  • Golden Opportunity
  • Healthy State
  • Ochsner Magazine

Job Seekers

  • Career Paths
  • Benefits
  • Open Positions

Employees

  • Webmail
  • OHSLink
  • Workday

Employers

  • Corporate Wellness
  • Medicare Advantage Plans

Community Outreach

  • Classes & Events
  • Programs
  • Community Health Needs Assessment
  • Dr. John Ochsner Discovery Health Sciences Academy

Education

  • Graduate Medical Education
  • Clinical Medical Education
  • Continuing Medical Education
  • Medical Library
  • Publishing Services
  • Medical Illustrations

Research

  • Clinical Trials
  • Applied Health Services Research
  • Clinical Research & Trials
  • Nursing Research
  • Translational Research

Giving

  • Donate
  • Volunteer

About Ochsner

  • Mission & Vision
  • History
  • Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
  • Annual Report
  • Outcomes & Honors
  • News & Media
  • Alumni
  • Ochsner Health Network
  • Contact Us

Shop

  • O Bar
  • Optical Shop
  • Ochsner Fitness Center
  • Brent House Hotel

© Ochsner Health  | Notice of Privacy Practices | Terms of Use | Vendor Information

Ochsner accepts all major insurances.

Ochsner is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization, founded on providing the best patient care, research, and education.

We are one of the country’s largest non-university based academic medical centers.

Ochsner is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, disability or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.

Community Needs Health Assessment

EpicMobile Tablet | EpicMobile Phone

newsletter icon

Subscribe to Our Newsletters

newsletter icon

Select the newsletters you'd like to receive.

Please select at least one category to continue.

Curious about our newsletters?

View details for each edition
newsletter icon

Let us know where to send your newsletters.

To Your Health- Food and Fitness:
To Your Health- General:
To Your Health- Men’s Health:
To Your Health- Parenting:
To Your Health- Women’s Health:
To Your Health-Mental Health Monthly":
To Your Health- Skin Deep:

Source:
Source Description:
Marketing Goal:
newsletter icon

You're all set!

We’ll send newsletters full of healthy living tips right to your inbox.

Ochsner Health System
magnifying glass icon
ESC to Close

Begin Typing to Search

Select the drop-down to filter Search by Blog Articles or Sitewide