Telogen effluvium, or temporary hair loss, has been reported in COVID-19 patients who live in low-income minority communities, according to a study recently published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
Dermatologists saw a 400 percent uptick in telogen effluvium cases approximately three months after New York City announced their shelter-in-place directive, which is the typical time frame that shedding occurs after experiencing extreme stress. “The surge in cases of hair loss we are treating now is a delayed consequence of the illness and anxiety experienced by these predominantly minority communities during the first wave of COVID-19 in NYC,” said Shoshana Marmon, MD, PhD, assistant clinical professor of dermatology at New York Medical College.
According to Dr. Marmon, hair loss is a common symptom of coronavirus ‘long-haulers’ and that it’s important to track patients struggling with telogen effluvium to determine if it’s temporary or symptomatic of something more serious.
