There are many devastating symptoms following a COVID-19 infection. From fatigue to brain fog and loss of test and smell. Unfortunately, hair loss has also been reported as a common symptom. But luckily in most cases it is short-lived.
If you experienced hair loss from SAR-CoV-2 infection, you’ve probably notice clumps of hair falling out. This usually happens while shampooing or combing your hair. The medical name for this type of hair shedding is telogen effluvium.
Hair Loss From a COVID-19 Infection vs. the COVID-19 Vaccine
While some people have experienced hair loss from COVID-19 infection, it doesn’t mean the vaccine is safer. That is, from a follicular standpoint. In fact, some people are very concerned that getting vaccinated will have a similar effect on hair loss.
Whether or not you’ve already gotten the second or third dose, you’re probably concerned about losing your hair.
Can COVID-19 Vaccine Cause Hair Loss?
Even though it’s not a common occurrence in everyone whose been vaccinated, the answer is yes. Hair loss from COVID-19 vaccine has occurred in certain individuals.
Telogen effluvium is a hair loss condition that happens due to a severe illness. In essence, SARS-CoV-2 infection could be included. It could also be a result of a major surgery, significant weight loss, stress event or other sudden changes.
The COVID vaccine entering your body, causes you to experience reduced symptoms of a modded virus. So, in theory, it could qualify as a sudden change.
How Common Is Hair Loss After a COVID-19 Vaccine?
Generally speaking, it’s not easy to pinpoint the exact rate of hair loss following the COVID-19 vaccine. First, COVID-19 vaccinations are really new. However, they are the most tracked vaccines in the history of medicine. But there’s still lots of complex findings and raw data that needs to be sorted out. For this reason, getting an accurate account of the potential side effects may take more time.
In general, people shed about 100 to 150 hairs a day. But when you experience a stress event such as COVID-19 infection, that can change. In fact, our bodies can prematurely shift a greater than normal proportion of growing hairs into a resting state.
Instead of the usual 10 percent of hairs that are in the resting and shedding phase, it’s up to 50 percent. Obviously, this is much more than normal.
According to published reports, hair shedding following COVID-19 infection can occur a little sooner than average. Instead of three months from an inciting event, it may be closer to two months. Other studies have also noticed faster recovery, around two to three months compared to six months on average.
Regardless of the reason you’re experiencing hair loss, you can still look beautiful every day! From toppers to hats with hair attached to human hair wigs, we have various types of hair pieces. Shop our online store today!
