Key takeaways:
COVID-19 infection can cause increased hair shedding and temporary hair loss.
Telogen effluvium is the medical condition that causes COVID hair loss. It’s a type of stress-related hair loss.
Hair will grow back once telogen effluvium resolves. But this can take several weeks to months.
A COVID-19 infection can affect people in many different ways. Some may experience only mild symptoms or no symptoms at all. Others can develop severe illness and long-term conditions. A COVID illness puts stress on your body. And this can lead to another bothersome outcome: hair loss.
Here’s why COVID-19 infection can cause hair loss, and what you can do to support your hair growth.
Does COVID-19 cause hair loss?
Yes, many people experience hair loss after a COVID infection. In studies, anywhere from 24% to 73% of people reported increased hair loss after being sick with COVID.
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Here’s why people are more likely to develop hair loss after COVID infection.
Hair loss from stress (telogen effluvium)
Telogen effluvium is the main reason people lose hair after COVID. This is a medical condition that leads to increased hair shedding. It starts after stressful life events, like having a baby, undergoing a surgery, or experiencing an illness.
Telogen effluvium causes your hair follicles to shift from growth phase to resting phase. You won’t lose all your hair from telogen effluvium. But you’ll notice more hair loss and hair thinning. Telogen effluvium goes away once your body recovers, though this takes time. Your hair will regrow, since telogen effluvium doesn’t cause permanent hair loss.
Alopecia areata
Alopecia areata is a common autoimmune condition that causes patches of hair loss, usually on your scalp. COVID doesn’t cause alopecia areata, but it may make it worse in some people who already have it. If your alopecia areata is worsened by COVID, there are different treatments that can help regrow your hair.
Can the COVID vaccine cause your hair loss?
The COVID vaccine can also trigger telogen effluvium, but this is less common. Some reports show that people developed increased hair shedding after getting the COVID-19 vaccine. There are also reports of people experiencing a worsening of their alopecia areata after getting the COVID vaccine.
It’s possible that some people are more prone to developing telogen effluvium, and these people would have likely developed it after a COVID illness, too.
When does COVID hair loss usually start?
COVID hair loss doesn’t happen right away. You’re more likely to notice hair loss closer to the 2- to 3-month mark after recovery. Some people even notice hair loss within 1 month. But hair shedding can also start 4 to 6 months after your COVID illness. That’s because telogen effluvium doesn’t make your hair fall out quickly.
Telogen effluvium causes hair follicles to shift from a growth phase to a resting phase. But it takes weeks to months for hair to fall out once it’s moved into this phase. And it may take longer for you to notice the changes in your hair, since your hair doesn’t fall out all at once with telogen effluvium.
How long does hair shedding post-COVID last?
It’s not clear how long hair shedding lasts after a COVID illness. Telogen effluvium normally lasts up to 6 months.
But some reports suggest telogen effluvium can resolve more quickly when triggered by a COVID illness. In studies, people experienced hair shedding for about 2 months after a COVID illness.
Can you regrow your hair after experiencing hair loss from COVID?
Yes, your hair will grow back if you experience telogen effluvium after a COVID illness. Your hair will start to grow back when it goes from the rest phase to the growth phase.
Your hair may start to regrow in as little as 2 months. But it can take up to 6 months for your hair to get back to its normal growth pattern.
It’ll take longer to see a noticeable difference, since hair grows from the root. Hair grows slowly, and it can take a while before you feel like your head of hair is back to normal. Experts estimate that it can take up to 8 months for your hair to fully grow back once telogen effluvium resolves. In the meantime, there are ways to support hair growth.
COVID hair loss treatments
There’s no cure for people experiencing post-COVID hair loss. But there are some ways to support your hair growth as it starts to come back. These include having good nutrition, managing stress, and taking care of your hair.
Vitamins
For hair to grow and be healthy, it needs good nutrition — especially protein and key vitamins and minerals. One study on COVID-related hair loss found that nearly 1 in 4 people who experienced telogen effluvium after COVID also had certain vitamin deficiencies. It’s not clear if low-vitamin levels make you more prone to COVID related hair loss. But low-vitamin levels will make it harder to grow your hair back.
So, be sure to get enough of the following:
Talk with your healthcare team about getting your iron, vitamin D, and B12 levels checked if you’re experiencing hair loss after a COVID illness. They may also recommend supplements to keep your vitamin levels at a healthy range.
Stress management
Stress can cause many physical and emotional symptoms. And it can be challenging to learn to manage stress.
There may be some things you can do to help reduce your stress levels, for example:
Practice mindfulness.
Have healthy relationships.
Get 7 to 8 hours of quality sleep each night.
Talk with a healthcare professional or therapist about other ways to manage your stress levels.
Gentle hair practices
The way you treat your hair matters.
Here are some things you may want to avoid:
Hairstyles that pull on the hair, such as ponytails or tight braids
Excessive heat or treatments to the hair
Though it may be hard, it’s important to be patient and realize that your hair will grow back. But it may take some time.
Minoxidil
Minoxidil (Rogaine) is an over-the-counter (OTC) medication that can treat male and female patterned baldness. It’s available as a foam or liquid. Topical minoxidil works by shortening the resting phase and lengthening the growth phase. In theory, it should help speed up recovery from telogen effluvium. But there’s not a lot of good evidence to support this. One small study found that people who used minoxidil for COVID hair loss had more hair regrowth after 12 weeks than those who didn’t use minoxidil.
Minoxidil is a generally safe medication. Many experts recommend trying minoxidil off-label for telogen effluvium.
When to see a doctor about COVID-related hair loss
There are some situations when you may need professional help for hair loss. It’s a good idea to check in with a healthcare professional if:
Your hair loss lasts more than 6 months
You notice patches of hair loss
You have scalp itching
You may need tests to see if other things could be causing your hair loss, like hormone changes, vitamin deficiencies, or autoimmune conditions. Your healthcare team may be able to recommend some treatments based on their findings.
If you have alopecia areata and have experienced more hair loss after COVID, check in with your primary care provider. They can help you find the best treatments to reverse your hair loss.
Frequently asked questions
There are rare reports of COVID affecting hair texture. But it doesn’t seem to be as common as other hair changes. Hair loss and hair shedding are the most common hair changes due to COVID. Some people also notice more gray hair after a COVID illness.
Some people develop trichodynia (scalp tenderness) when they have COVID. In one study, nearly 6 out of 10 people reported scalp pain. Most also experienced increased hair shedding. It’s not clear why people experience trichodynia with a COVID illness.
Telogen effluvium (hair loss from stress) increases hair shedding. It’s perfectly normal to lose up to 100 hairs per day. But, with telogen effluvium, people may lose closer to 300 hairs per day.
The most common symptoms of telogen effluvium are related to hair falling out more quickly. Common symptoms include:
More hair falling out while brushing or styling
More hair loss with hair washing and bathing
Noticeable hair thinning, especially on the crown and temples
Decreased hair thickness
Thinning of eyebrows and/or eyelashes
Telogen effluvium doesn’t cause bald patches. But it can make existing bald patches more noticeable. It also doesn’t change your hairline.
There are rare reports of COVID affecting hair texture. But it doesn’t seem to be as common as other hair changes. Hair loss and hair shedding are the most common hair changes due to COVID. Some people also notice more gray hair after a COVID illness.
Some people develop trichodynia (scalp tenderness) when they have COVID. In one study, nearly 6 out of 10 people reported scalp pain. Most also experienced increased hair shedding. It’s not clear why people experience trichodynia with a COVID illness.
Telogen effluvium (hair loss from stress) increases hair shedding. It’s perfectly normal to lose up to 100 hairs per day. But, with telogen effluvium, people may lose closer to 300 hairs per day.
The most common symptoms of telogen effluvium are related to hair falling out more quickly. Common symptoms include:
More hair falling out while brushing or styling
More hair loss with hair washing and bathing
Noticeable hair thinning, especially on the crown and temples
Decreased hair thickness
Thinning of eyebrows and/or eyelashes
Telogen effluvium doesn’t cause bald patches. But it can make existing bald patches more noticeable. It also doesn’t change your hairline.
The bottom line
Many people notice hair loss or thinning after recovering from a COVID infection. This is called telogen effluvium, and it’s thought to be caused by the physical and/or emotional stress of having a COVID infection. Hair will regrow after telogen effluvium resolves. But it'll take several months for hair to recover and even longer for it to fully grow back. While you wait for your hair to regrow, support hair growth by eating a healthy diet, managing stress levels, and avoiding harsh hair treatments.
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References
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