March 30, 2022

How to Stop Post-COVID-19 Hair Loss

Have you noticed thinning hair in recent months? While there are many factors that can contribute to hair loss, the COVID-19 pandemic over the past couple of years just might be one of those factors. Many people are experiencing hair loss now who had never had a problem with it before, and today, we’ll give you some answers on why that may be the case, and what some of the newest hair restoration treatments are that can stop that pandemic hair loss now.

What causes hair loss?

To answer this question, it’s important to understand the basics of hair growth and shedding. Hairs grow from your hair follicles, which are located in your skin. These are tiny tube-like structures where your hair grows. At the bottom of the follicle, which is nourished by your blood vessels, your follicles produce hair cells that bond together and push upward until the strands of hair reach the surface. 

The health of those follicles is crucial for healthy hair growth. Normally, all your follicles go through regular cycles of growth, resting, and shedding. It’s completely normal to shed hair, which is why all of us find a few strands in the shower or caught in our hairbrushes. But normally, that’s around 50 to 100. While that seems like a lot, when you consider that we have about 100,000 hairs on our head on average, losing 50 or 100 isn’t going to be noticeable. 

The problem comes when too many hair follicles are in the shedding phase and enough hair falls out that thinning becomes visible. That’s when noticeable hair loss becomes a problem. 

Why would the pandemic cause hair loss?

There are a couple of reasons why we’re seeing more hair loss across the country than we normally do. 

• Viral infection. If you’ve had COVID-19, or any viral infection, your body kicks in its immune system response. That causes inflammation and fever, the natural way your body is designed to fight infection. But sometimes, having a high fever can damage your hair follicles, causing excess hair loss. That can even happen long after you’ve recovered from the virus when the damage to the follicles becomes more evident.

   

• Stress. Stress also triggers a response in the body. It’s generally called the fight-or-flight response, and it’s also a natural way your body responds to a threat. The problem is that your body can have this response even when you fear a threat with an emotional reaction. It’s been a challenge to avoid stress in the past two years. Some people had excess stress because they had to stay home. Others worried about their jobs and their family’s financial security. Still, others worried about their family members who were vulnerable to severe illness or were worried about the virus itself. The pandemic has been very disruptive to our lives, so there are a lot of reasons why people may be experiencing stress. For some people, that stress response can damage the hair follicles, which can eventually lead to hair loss.

What types of treatments are available to help with hair loss?

Whether or not the pandemic was a factor in your hair loss, there are plenty of effective treatments today that can help, and the hair loss experts at the Hair Restoration Institute specialize in developing personalized hair restoration treatments for people just like you.

The first step is to make an appointment for a free and discreet consultation with one of our hair loss experts. We’ll talk about your hair loss concerns in a relaxed and friendly environment, and we’ll take a full health assessment to determine the cause of your hair loss. After that, we’ll develop a customized hair restoration treatment that will work for you. 

Depending on the extent of your hair loss, your personalized hair restoration treatment plan may consist of one or more of the following state-of-the-art hair loss treatments:

• FUE or FUT hair transplantation
• PRP hair loss treatment
• Dermal Lens hair replacement system
• Laser hair loss treatment
• Scalp micropigmentation
• Professional HRI hair growth-enhancing products
• and many more options

If you’ve noticed hair loss recently, the COVID-19 pandemic may possibly be the cause. Find out how you can take control of your hair loss with a consultation with our Hair Restoration Institute hair loss experts today. We’ll help you find the right treatments for your individual needs. You can find us at 8030 Old Cedar Ave S Ste 202 in Bloomington, MN, or call 612-588-HAIR (4247) for a private, complimentary consultation.