Corona Daily 302: Comb. Brush. The Sink.

This summer, an American woman was getting ready to celebrate her tenth wedding anniversary. In the mirror, she suddenly noticed a bald spot on her scalp. Her thick long hair had started falling in clumps, it was everywhere. In the comb. Brush. The sink. Earlier, in April, she had been hospitalized for two weeks with coronavirus symptoms.

There is a Facebook group of Corona-19 survivors. It essentially comprises of the “long haulers” – the ex-patients who continue to experience a variety of symptoms for a long time. When the American lady joined the FB group, she found hundreds of others talking about the shocking shedding of an abnormal quantity of hair. Women from different continents were vocal about it. For women, balding or thinning of hair is far more traumatic.

In a July survey among 1567 covid-survivors, 423 members reported unusual hair loss.

*****

Humans normally have between 100,000 and 150,000 hairs on their head. A normal and healthy hair cycle has three phases: growing, resting, and shedding. At any time, up to 90% of the hairs are growing, 5% are resting, and up to 10% are shedding. It is normal to lose 80-100 hairs every day.

Some Covid-19 ex-patients experience a large chunk of hair moving from the growing to the shedding phase. As a result, only about 40% are in the growth phase, 50% in the shedding. When shedding outnumbers growing, hair becomes thinner, and bald patches can appear.

*****

Why is this happening?

There are three different types of conditions. Telogen effluvium. Alopecia areata. Trichotillomania.

The type most covid-19 patients have is telogen effluvium, a temporary loss of hair caused by physical or emotional stress, high fever, illness or weight loss, many of the symptoms common with the virus. Far more than 100 hairs are lost daily. It is not just on the crown like a typical male bald patch, but all over the head.

This condition happens to some pregnant women. They experience similar symptoms after delivery. The hair loss usually lasts for about six months, then head reverts to its natural state.

In alopecia areata, the other hair loss condition, the immune system attacks the hair follicles, starting with a patch of hair on the scalp or beard. Again, it relates to psychological stress.

Trichotillomania, the least common condition, is when people start pulling their hair as a response to stress. Some people chew nails, some binge eat, and believe it or not, some pull their hair. It is a disorder in which there is an irresistible urge to keep pulling hair out from the scalp.

***** 

In the lockdown, and generally in the pandemic, many people are less disciplined about their hair grooming habits. If pre-pandemic, you shampooed your head daily, and now do it every 3-4 days, you will find more hair in the brush or the sink. Instead of 100 hairs a day, it will be like 250-280 hairs every third day. That is no cause for worry.

In all other cases, it is stress. Stress is now omnipresent. Those who have been ill with covid and those who haven’t can experience loss of hair. Experts suggest good nutrition, vitamins, yoga or meditation to reduce stress. However, yoga or meditation will not help people who have lost their jobs, become bankrupt, lost someone close or have other pandemic related worries. Some women also fall prey to the self-fulfilling prophecy. They worry about the loss of hair so much, it causes undue stress, resulting in further loss of hair.

The good news is that in most cases, this loss of hair is temporary. It will last for 6-12 months, and the condition will disappear. Stay-at-home makes it easier to bear that period with equanimity.

Ravi