Severe COVID-19 Infection Predisposes Patients to Greater Burden of Hair Loss

The study, conducted on 10,861 patients aged 18 years and above diagnosed with COVID-19 between January 2020 and June 2022, found a link between COVID-19 infection and hair loss, specifically telogen effluvium. The data showed that 6.5% of patients treated in inpatient/emergency settings developed hair loss compared to 4.7% in outpatient settings. The median time to alopecia diagnosis was 73 days for patients with outpatient care and 99 days for those with inpatient/emergency care. The study concluded that hair loss following COVID-19 infection is a significant consequence, particularly for patients who required hospitalization, possibly due to psychological or physiological stress. Future research is recommended to validate these findings and further explore this relationship.