Help! My hair is shedding!
Hair loss can be scary and cause a lack of confidence during daily styling and in your every day appearance. Our hair follicles naturally go through growing, transition, shedding and resting phases but there are times where your hair shed may feel more excessive than usual.
If you have felt like your hair is thinner than usual as of late and since 2020, I have some information for you that may be helpful.
Have you ever had Covid, long Covid, had it multiple times or had it recently?
Well, there is a such thing as “Covid Hair Loss.”
Now, I used to define “Covid Hair” as the condition of my client’s hair when salons reopened (post pandemic) and clients returned. My definition was based on the fact that many women had no idea what to do with their hair while salons were closed so they returned to us hairstylists with very damaged hair, hence the term “Covid Hair.”
However, it has been found and I’ve personally witnessed, that a symptom of this virus in some cases IS hair loss.
This type of hair loss is called Telogen Effluvium.
An Atlanta based dermatologist said that when the body is under stress, the body pulls nutrients away from your follicle because in times of stress, hair is not a priority for the body.
Based on a study, hair loss doesn’t result from the virus itself, but it is as a result of the extreme stress that the body is under during the infection.
The good news is that this type of hair loss is temporary.
Telogen Effluvium is when hair roots are pushed into the “resting” phase meaning the follicle is not currently producing cells that become a hair strand.
So essentially, when the body is under stress, this type of hair loss causes the current hair to shed, which results in your hair looking and feeling thinner. Those same follicles that shed the hair are also pushed into the “telogen” or the resting phase which means the follicle is temporarily not producing hair.
Normally the resting phase lasts about 3 months in the regular hair cycle. Since this condition is due to stress, trauma, illness or child birth, the duration of time that this lasts could vary. However, here are some things to consider and remember in order to stay encouraged:
- This is temporary. Your follicles will likely activate and generate cells that will produce hair again!
- If you had covid + are postpartum, the shedding may seem more intense simply because both conditions may be contributing to hair shedding. You’ll likely begin to see a difference in your hair as your hormones regulate and once the telogen phase ends.
- Vitamins could help. Vitamins B, D, E, Zinc, biotin and iron are supplements that are good for and promote hair growth.
- It's diagnosable and treatable. If you think this could possibly apply to you, I encourage you to see a dermatologist who can properly diagnose and offer additional treatment options for you.
xo,
-Monita Lawing