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<\/div>\nTHURSDAY, July 30, 2020 — Patients recovering from COVID-19<\/a> may be susceptible to losing their hair, USA Today<\/i> reported Wednesday.<\/p>\n The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention<\/a> doesn’t list hair loss<\/a> as a consequence of COVID-19<\/a>, but more than 27% of 1,100 people who responded to a Survivor Corps Facebook poll said they lost hair.<\/p>\n Dr. Michele Green, a dermatologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, has seen an influx of COVID-19<\/a> patients who lost their hair.<\/p>\n “Patients have literally come in with bags<\/a> of hair looking like a full head of hair was in the bag,” she told USA Today<\/i>. “They all have similar stories. That they were extremely sick with high fevers<\/a> and have never been that sick in their entire lives.”<\/p>\n Hair loss<\/a> may not be due to the virus, but rather by shock<\/a> to the body of having a high fever<\/a> and other symptoms.<\/p>\n Hair loss<\/a> can occur after surgery, major trauma<\/a>, psychological stress<\/a>, high, infection, or other illness. It can also result from weight loss<\/a>, change in diet<\/a>, hormonal changes, or iron deficiency<\/a>, according to the Harvard Medical School.<\/p>\n Dr. Shilpi Khetarpal, a dermatologist at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, told USA Today<\/i> that when the body experiences a shock<\/a> to the system it forces hair to go from growing to resting to shedding.<\/p>\n That’s why COVID-19<\/a> patients lose hair a couple of weeks to months after they recover from the infection, she said.<\/p>\n Patients’ can temporally lose as much as 50% of their hair. Shedding decreases during the following six months and returns to normal.<\/p>\n It’s not known why some patients lose hair and others don’t. It may be genetic, Khetarpal told USA Today<\/i>.<\/p>\n Although over-the-counter<\/a> remedies might make hair grow faster, patients should instead eat a well-balanced diet<\/a> and take vitamins<\/a> that help hair grow, she said.<\/p>\n Patients with hair loss<\/a> will also benefit by manage stress<\/a> because stress<\/a> and make the problem worse, Khetarpal said.<\/p>\n “Hair is our identity, it’s a huge part of our culture and the shedding itself can cause a lot of stress<\/a>,” she said. “That can contribute to the problem and make things worse.”<\/p>\n ![\"MedicalNews\"](\"https:\/\/images.medicinenet.com\/images\/HealthDay\/healthday.png\")
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