Dermatologic implications of COVID-19 infection and immunization: hair loss

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to review the treatment of COVID-19 virus infection and immunization-induced alopecia. Hair loss has long been considered cosmetic, oftentimes self-limiting or as a result of the natural aging process. Identifying different contributing factors, being aware of COVID-19–induced hair loss, and treating these patients early will improve outcomes and further educate clinicians on the nature of the disease. The PubMed database was used with search terms including “COVID-19,” “hair loss,” “COVID-19 and dermatologic implications,” “alopecia,” “alopecia areata,” “COVID-19 infection,” “immunization,” “vaccine,” and “telogen effluvium.” Filters with parameters were set for <5 years after publication and systematic reviews, which resulted in 40 results. Medical subject headings (MeSH) terms that were used included “alopecia/complications,” “SARS-CoV-2,” “COVID-19 prevention/control.” Studies have shown that there are psychological implications of hair loss, which has led to the study of trichopsychodermatology. Additional research is needed to determine whether COVID-19–induced alopecia is caused by the associated physical and emotional stress, the viral illness itself, medications used for treatment of COVID-19 virus infection, or associated nutritional deficiencies.