A Cross-Sectional Study on Post-Coronavirus Disease Hair Loss at a Tertiary Care Hospital

The cross-sectional study included 120 patients from a tertiary care center in North India who experienced hair loss after COVID-19 infection. The mean age was 39.6 years, with 85.8% being females. Hair loss typically began 49 days post-infection, with 47.5% reporting a family member with similar hair loss, and 37.5% having pre-existing hair loss. The majority of cases were diffuse, but some overlapped with patterned hair loss or alopecia areata. Factors contributing to hair loss included pro-inflammatory cytokines and nutrient deficiencies, among others. Trichoscopy was crucial for diagnosis, revealing patterns like increased interfollicular distance. The study highlighted the need for dermatologists to recognize hair loss as a post-COVID-19 symptom and suggested further research, including histopathological studies. However, the study lacked a control group and histopathological confirmation.