6 month study of COVID-19 in patients discharged from hospital: A cohort study

The attached study published in the Lancet regrading long-term clinical effects of recovered COVId-19 patients confirms what we have seen in our office over the past several months - increased rates in hair loss.

In addition to fatigue, muscle weakness, altered smell, insomnia, and depression, hair loss affets 22% of the patients surveyed in this published trial.

I believe the vast majority are a telogen effluvium - a disruption in our hair cycle that can occur with any physical, emotional or psychological stress on our body.  It typically presents 3-6 months after the stress (in this case COVID-19) and can result in a dramatic loss of hair.

The good news is most patients can recover the majority of lost hair over 6-12 months.  Minoxidil, PRP, LLLT and finasteride can help speed up the recovery.

Any patient with sudden hair loss should be evaluated by their dermatologist to help establish the underlying cause and help create a treatment plan.

https://www.thelancet.com/action/showPdf?pii=S0140-6736(20)32656-8

Author

Marc Avram, MD Dr. Avram is a board certified dermatologist in private practice in New York City. In addition to treating all aspects of medical, surgical, and cosmetic dermatology, Dr. Avram specializes in hair transplantation.