New Onset of Hair Loss Disorders During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Korean Nationwide Population-Based Study

This Korean nationwide study involving over 5.7 million individuals examined the relationship between COVID-19 infection, vaccination, and hair loss disorders. It found that COVID-19 infection was not significantly linked to alopecia areata or telogen effluvium, but there was a slight increase in the risk of total alopecia. In contrast, COVID-19 vaccination was significantly associated with an increased risk of total alopecia, alopecia areata, and telogen effluvium, possibly due to autoimmune reactions triggered by the vaccine. Despite these findings, the study emphasizes the benefits of vaccination in reducing COVID-19 severity, suggesting that any vaccine-related hair loss may be reversible and less severe. The study underscores the importance for physicians to weigh the benefits and potential side effects of COVID-19 vaccines and to monitor hair loss in patients. Limitations include its retrospective nature and focus on an Asian population, which may not be generalizable to other ethnicities.