FIvenson D: COVID-19: association with rapidly progressive forms of alopecia areata.

Domínguez-Santás M, Haya-Martínez L, Fernández-Nieto D, Jiménez-Cauhé J, Suárez-Valle A, Díaz-Guimaraens B: Acute telogen effluvium associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Tsuboi R, Itami S, Manabe M, et al.: Japanese Dermatological Association alopecia areata clinical practice guideline 2017.

Otsuka Y, Tokumasu K, Nakano Y, et al.: Clinical characteristics of Japanese patients who visited a COVID-19 aftercare clinic for post-acute sequelae of COVID-19/long COVID.

Davis HE, Assaf GS, McCorkell L, et al.: Characterizing long COVID in an international cohort: 7 months of symptoms and their impact.Nalbandian A, Sehgal K, Gupta A, et al.: Post-acute COVID-19 syndrome.Raveendran AV, Jayadevan R, Sashidharan S: Long COVID: an overview.Thus, we hope that this report will help physicians in encouraging their patients with hair loss after COVID-19. Unfortunately, there are only a few reports, such as our case, wherein the hair loss was recovered to the original state. Furthermore, physicians need to reduce anxiety by explaining to patients their conditions, sharing medical information, and eliminating their psychophysical stress by managing various systemic complications. Although hair loss is not life-threatening, it can considerably affect the patient’s quality of life hence, physicians need to provide complete care for such patients. The supplementation of iron or zinc can be a treatment option for treating the deficiency of these minerals.

Īlthough our patient received medication for alopecia areata on his request, TE is reversible and expected to improve without any treatment after the psychophysical damage disappears. Even if acute COVID-19 was not severe, the mental stress associated with the infection could cause TE. It is observed 3-4 months after physical or psychological distress such as viral infection, emotional stress, severe injuries, surgeries, difficult labor, drugs usage, endocrine disorders, and malnutrition. However, the anagen phase slows down, and more hair is in the catagen and telogen phases in TE. Usually, 5%-10% of a person’s hair is in the telogen phase. Androgenetic alopecia is considered a risk factor for severe COVID-19 (named the “Gabrin sign”) however, this is not a sequela. Cases of alopecia areata have been reported after COVID-19.

Most cases are TE, secondary to the physical or psychological distress of COVID-19. Hair loss is not common in the acute phase of COVID-19, but a sequela of COVID-19 is observed in approximately 20% of the patients.

Approach to alopecia ppt