COVID-19 seems to be wreaking havoc on all aspects of the body– from the cardiovascular system to the brain, from one’s sense of hearing to the ability to smell. In fact, the coronavirus is clearly a comprehensive threat to your overall health and well being. Even if you survive with a mild case, symptoms may linger and evolve well beyond the time of the initial infection. And now comes word of one more potential symptom: It seems not even your hair is safe from the impact of the coronavirus. 

According to a recent piece in Prevention, hair loss has become another ongoing after-effect of a COVID-19 infection. According to this post, hair loss often follows physiological stress on the body, as blood and nutrients no longer flow to hair follicles, which then die and shed as a result. This is known as telogen effluvium. While it’s considered a reversible symptom, the thinning hair that may follow COVID could last up to 4-6 months, and your normal hair growth may not return for up to 9 months after your COVID “recovery.” 

For many of us, thinning and shedding hair is nothing new as we get older. Most hair loss is attributable to genetics and is more likely passed down from your mother’s lineage. But your actions or behaviors could further exacerbate the thinning and loss of hair, such as pulling on the scalp from tight hairstyles or excessive and harsh brushing and styling. And if you’re on such medications as chemotherapy, or other drugs like antivirals or anticoagulants, those can also exacerbate hair loss. For men, there are lots of recommendations for actions to take and foods to ingest to help with hair loss. For both men and women, experts suggest you check your meds, consider your hair products and watch your diet, all to lessen the likelihood of thinning hair. And if you think this is primarily a problem for men, think again: it’s estimated that ⅓ of women also suffer from thinning or loss of hair (though usually not from baldness) so aging women also need to pay attention to how they treat their hair.

And finally, if you’re lucky enough to have grown a full head of hair during the pandemic and are now at the point of deciding whether to risk a return to the salon, Consumer Reports has a list of considerations for you to think about. While you can’t eliminate the risk of close interaction when sitting in the hair stylist’s chair, you can lessen the likelihood of virus transmission. So don your mask, cover your clothing, and read here.