Health issues linked to hair loss
As those recovering from Covid-19 start to report losing their locks, AMY PACKER discovers some of the issues that can cause you to start thinning on top
AS WITH any recently discovered health concern, our knowledge of Covid-19 is constantly evolving. Whether it is new symptoms we should look out for or its potential long-term effects – even in patients who have experienced coronavirus mildly – there is still so much we don’t know.
In the last month, those who have recovered are starting to report hair loss occurring weeks after their last symptoms have vanished.
While it might sound foolish to complain about something so trivial when others are losing their lives, it’s interesting to understand why it might be happening as our hair is a bigger indicator of our wellbeing than we realise.
“Hair is a very sensitive barometer of general health,” said Anabel Kingsley, consultant trichologist at Philip Kingsley. “In order to understand why and how health affects hair growth, we must keep in mind that hair is not essential to our survival, so when we have a health problem or internal imbalance, our hair is the least of our body’s priorities.”
Medical writer Dr Rosemary Leonard added: “As yet, there is no published research on whether actually having been infected with Covid-19 could cause extreme hair loss, but any illness, even standard flu, can affect hair growth and cause loss.
“However, the good news is that this is usually temporary, so hair growth should recover in time.”
Simply living through lockdown could be enough to trigger the problem, said Leonard. “It is known that many people experience a general thinning of their hair several months after a physical or emotional shock.
“So just the huge mental stress caused by the pandemic, with many people losing their jobs, could be enough to cause some hair loss.”
While it’s normal to lose up to 100 hairs each day, excessive daily hair shedding is known as “telogen effluvium”, a form of widespread, non-concentrated hair loss on the scalp. It occurs when the hair’s growth phase is cut short by an internal disturbance in the body, such as illness.
“It makes sense that coronavirus could be a trigger,” said Kingsley. “Due to the hair growth cycle, telogen effluvium is often expected six to 12 weeks or so after the period of illness, medication or stress that triggered it. Although it can be extremely distressing, rest assured the hair will almost certainly grow back in around three months, as long as the underlying issue has been resolved.” So what other health problems could trigger hair loss, and when do you need to worry?
Your thyroid gland produces two hormones which regulate your metabolism and must be perfectly balanced to ensure everything from your heart, muscle and digestive function to bone health and brain development work effectively. King said: “Both an underactive overactive thyroid can disrupt the growth cycle because thyr hormones regulate metabolism, en levels and the reproduction of all – including hair cells.
“For many, hair shedding can be of the first signs that your thy hormones are imbalanced.
“Unlike genetic hair loss, thyr related hair loss is not confine certain areas but instead oc anywhere on the scalp.
“Thyroid problems can also c loss of eyebrow and body hair, w hypothyroid may cause your ha become dry and brittle.”
The good news is that usu thyroid-related hair loss rect itself once your condition is diagn and treated.
When you are stressed, your sys
In terms of your scalp and hair, stress can disrupt your hormone levels
does not really distinguish between emotional stress from work or the kind created by a life or death situation.
As such, the chemical reactions it produces in your body are the same in both situations, resulting in a “fight or flight” response which can trigger a cascade of brain chemicals with unwanted effects.
“In terms of your scalp and hair, stress can disrupt your hormone levels,” said Kingsley.
“Stress spikes cortisol levels, which in turn increases sebum production and disrupts the skin’s barrier function, triggering skin irritation and inflammation.
“This is why you find your scalp gets itchy, flaky and overly sensitive when you are going through a stressful period. People who suffer scalp conditions, such as psoriasis and dandruff, often find their condition is made worse by stress.
“Hair growth is influenced by the condition of your scalp, so poor scalp health resulting from stress can increase hair loss.”
Whether you’re crash dieting, have an eating disorder or have changed your diet dramatically, what you eat can have a big impact on your hair.
“As hair is non-essential tissue, it is the last part of you to receive nutrients you intake and the first to be withheld from,” said Kingsley.
“Even a small deficiency can cause hair loss, long before it affects your general health.
“The most common deficiencies are iron, ferritin (stored iron), vitamin B12, vitamin D and zinc deficiency.
“Lack of dietary protein, not eating enough complex carbohydrates and crash dieting are also common causes of hair loss.
“It is therefore really important to eat a healthy, balanced and varied diet.
Hair is made of protein so I recommend that my clients add at least a palm-sized portion of protein to their breakfast and lunch.
“I also suggest having a serving of a complex carbohydrate with each meal, as these provide easily accessible energy.
“Often, I will also prescribe soy protein supplements as it can be difficult to meet your hair’s unique requirements through diet alone.”
If you ask people to name a reason for hair loss, cancer treatment will usually be high on the list.
“Chemotherapy treats cancer by targeting and attacking rapidly dividing cancer cells,” Kingsley said.
“But because these drugs are delivered systemically and circulate throughout the body, they can also affect other normal, healthy cells.
“Hair cells have the second fastest turnover of any the body produces and often fall out during cancer treatment.”
It’s worth noting though, that not all chemotherapy drugs cause hair loss, and sometimes the loss is so small it’s hardly noticeable. A “cold cap” treatment can also be used to prevent hair loss and has been found to be highly effective in up to 65 per cent of users.
Kingsley added: “If your hair is going to fall out, it usually does so within two to three weeks of starting chemotherapy.
“Chemotherapy may also cause loss of body hair, such as loss of eyebrow, eyelash, armpit, arm, leg and pubic hairs.
“Unlike cancer cells, however, the normal cells quickly recover, so if you lose your hair due to chemotherapy it is almost always temporary and grows back once treatment is over.”
Hair changes are common leading up to and during menopause. “When you go through menopause two main things occur that can impact your hair,” said Kinglsey.
“The first is a decline in oestrogen levels, which helps to keep strands in their growth phase.
“Their decline is one reason why many women initially experience diffuse shedding in the early stages of menopause.
“The second is that once oestrogen levels have dropped, your hair has a more androgen (male hormone) environment to contend with.
“For women who have a genetic predisposition to follicle sensitivity, even normal levels of androgens can cause hair follicles to become smaller and hairs to grow back finer.
“Optimising your nutrition and general health and managing stress levels are key.” ●For more information go to philip kingsley.co.uk