New Jersey Women battling hair loss from COVID-19

I found out recently that there are some people who have contracted the Covid-19 virus and one of the side effects of that terrible virus is the loss of hair. I recently talked with a friend of mine that got the virus back in March of 2020. She noticed that her hair was slowly falling out at a rate that was concerning but not alarming.

As time went on the hair loss became significant and she went to several doctors to get a solution. Each of the doctors told her it was a side effect from the Covid-19 virus and that there was very little to do.

Hair loss in women is very hard to treat with medication. Propecia which works on a high percentage of men who experience male pattern baldness does not work so well on women. According to the Mayo Clinic, Propecia may work on less than 10% or women and there are some side effects that may cause further ailments to the patient.

Doctors claim that most of the patients experiencing hair loss after Covid-19 will recover and the hair will grow back. There are some patients, known as “long haulers” who won’t recover; leaving them with significant hair loss that doctors say may be permanent

Most doctors say that the physical and emotional stress that accompanies the Covid-19 virus will lead to the hair loss and that once the stress and Covid-19 are gone that the hair will go back. Unfortunately that’s not the case for many patients.

For those “long haulers’ who have experienced significant hair loss the only solution is purchasing wigs which can cost hundreds of dollars. That expense can also trigger stress. It’s a horrible scenario for those who lose hair. My friend’s hair was full and beautiful and now her spirit, personality and of course looks have all taken a hit. Thoughts go out to all those who are struggling with hair loss as a result of Covid-19.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 weekend host Big Joe Henry. Any opinions expressed are Big Joe’s own.