TLDR Almost half of COVID-19 patients in Makkah, Saudi Arabia experienced increased hair loss, especially women and those with chronic diseases.
A retrospective cross-sectional analysis on 343 patients in the Makkah region of Saudi Arabia found that 48% experienced an increase in hair loss of more than 120 hairs per day after a COVID-19 infection. The most common type of hair loss was telogen effluvium (86.7%), followed by alopecia areata (8.3%) and androgenic alopecia (5%). Hair loss typically occurred 2-3 months post-infection. The study also found that female gender and the presence of chronic disease were significantly associated with post-COVID-19 hair loss, but the severity of the COVID-19 infection did not significantly impact hair loss. The study concluded that COVID-19 is a frequent cause of hair loss, particularly telogen effluvium, which can impact the quality of life of the affected individuals.
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