Correlation Between Interest in COVID-19 Hair Loss and COVID-19 Surges: Analysis of Google Trends

    February 2022
    Joseph Han, Samir Kamat, Aneesh Agarwal, Ross O’Hagan, Connor Tukel, Shayan Owji, Sabrina Ghalili, Yen Luu, Cula Svidzinski, Brian J. Abittan, Jonathan Ungar, Nicholas Gulati
    Image of study
    TLDR Interest in COVID-19 hair loss increased during COVID-19 surges, especially in higher-income countries.
    The study analyzed Google Trends data to assess public interest in "COVID hair loss" and "Telogen Effluvium" from January 2020 to January 2022, finding a significant increase in search volume over time, particularly during COVID-19 surges. The relative search volume for "COVID hair loss" peaked during the omicron variant surge in January 2022, showing a 14% increase from the initial COVID-19 surge in mid-2020 and an 82% increase from the delta variant surge in mid-2021. A significant correlation (r=0.59, P<.001) was found between weekly search volume and new COVID-19 cases. Interest was higher in higher-income countries, but some lower-income countries like the Philippines and Pakistan also showed significant interest. The findings suggest a perceived link between COVID-19 and hair loss, with dermatologists likely to address this in clinical practice during COVID-19 surges.
    Discuss this study in the Community →

    Research cited in this study

    4 / 4 results

    Related Community Posts Join

    6 / 384 results

      community C’est terrible - at my wits end

      in Female  450 upvotes 1 year ago
      A 29-year-old woman is experiencing gradual hair thinning since age 15, suspects Androgenic Alopecia, and has tried 5% minoxidil with little success. She has purchased various hair loss treatments including minoxidil, dutasteride, finasteride, and spironolactone, but is cautious about starting them due to potential interactions with her ADHD medication.

      community Am I crazy or is this recovery?

      in Is this regrowth?  134 upvotes 6 months ago
      The user is experiencing sudden hair loss and is considering micro-needling, low-level light therapy, iron supplements, folihair, and Omega 3. They are hesitant to start finasteride, suspecting the hair loss might be due to telogen effluvium from a past COVID-19 infection.

      community Totally confused by doctors opinions, would appreciate some clarity

      in Treatment  1 upvotes 9 months ago
      The user is experiencing hair loss and confusion over conflicting medical advice, with treatments including minoxidil, finasteride, and topical corticosteroids. They are unsure about the necessity of a biopsy and the timing of using minoxidil, while also considering the impact of potential androgenetic alopecia and telogen effluvium.

      community I lost the fight against MPB at age 22 despite being on treatments.

      in Finasteride/Dutasteride  72 upvotes 2 years ago
      The user "ajsr8" shared their story of hair loss despite being on treatments. They started using finasteride in 2019 and later tried topical minoxidil, but it didn't seem to work. They also experienced side effects from other treatments. They are considering cutting off their hair and stopping the medications if there is no improvement in three months. Other users suggested trying different treatments and getting a blood test to check for underlying conditions.

      community FINASTRIDE and switch to DUTASTRIDE, my experience

      in Progress Pictures  145 upvotes 1 year ago
      The user shared their experience with Finasteride and Dutasteride for hair loss. They initially had success with Finasteride but switched to Dutasteride after experiencing shedding, which continued, and are now considering a hair transplant.

    Similar Research

    5 / 1000+ results