What can the hair tell us about COVID‐19?

Abstract

The novel viral pandemic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) has sparked uncertainties as to its origin, epidemiology and natural course. The study of the cutaneous manifestations of COVID‐19 has evolved with the hope that they may be useful as markers for the disease, prognostication and pathogenic insights into the disease. With regard to the hair, clinicopathological correlations have remained elusive. More recently, androgenetic alopecia and grey hair have been proposed as cutaneous markers for elevated severity risk. So far, we have only observed postinfectious effluvium in a causal association with COVID‐19. The onset and acuity of hair shedding depended on the clinical severity of disease. There was complete recovery of hair.

Telogen Effluvium after SARS-CoV-2 Infection: A Series of Cases and Possible Pathogenetic Mechanisms

“…TE is increasingly reported in the setting of COVID-19, and physicians should be made aware of this possible sequela [ 14 ]. Furthermore, in the current era of pandemic, we suggest that a SARS-CoV-2 infection should be suspected and investigated in a patient who presents with acute TE.…”

A comment on psychological distress and women’s hair loss related to the COVID-19 pandemic

“…Although it is not known yet the impact of associated hairloss related stress and pandemic-related anxiety on women's quality-of-life, the number of patients complaining of hair problems has recently increased, since several types of alopecia can be worsened by physical and psychological distress 1,7,8 . Accordingly, the number of reports on alopecia areata and telogen effluvium, either aggravated or induced by COVID-19 infection, constantly rises in the literature 7,8 .…”

“…It is possible that the severity of the hair shed correlates with the severity of COVID-19 infection 1 . Patients with high fever seem to experience more hair loss than asymptomatic ones 1 .…”

Efectos a largo plazo de la COVID-19: una revisión de la literatura

“…34 Además, el folículo piloso responde a la infección y eventos estresantes con efluvio anágeno distrófico o efluvio telógeno, dependiendo de su intensidad, causando alope-cia que se presenta tres meses después de la infección con una duración aproximada de seis meses. 35,36…”