Posted August 8, 2020: by Bill Sardi
Dr. Esther Freeman, director of the Dermatology COVID-19 Registry, says hair loss some time after COVID-19 infection, is increasingly being reported. Months following any stressful event, physical or emotional (not just COVID-19 infection), hair can start to fall out. Hair loss is often experienced at the 3-month point after a stressful event.
A condition called telogen effluvium occurs among people who experience a stressful illness or other life event and shed hair.
Hair goes through a 3-step process of regeneration: anagen (growth), catagen (transition) and resting stage (telogen), or shedding stage. For unknown reasons, more hair follicles stall in the telogen stage and therefore more hair is shed
Researchers theorize the same male hormones that provoke hair loss may be linked to the propensity of COVID-19 patients experiencing hair loss. In fact, men with baldness may be more prone to COVID-19 infection itself.
There are androgen (male hormone) receptors on the surface of cells. When these receptors (molecular doorways) are overly sensitive, hair loss (alopecia) occurs.
When the androgen receptor is hyperactive a proteolytic (protein-like) enzyme is also active (TMPRSS2), an enzyme that is a key to COVID-19 infection. Men are vulnerable to severe forms of COVID-19 infection, whereas children under age 10 who have not entered puberty are invulnerable to COVID-19. (Note: COVID-19 infected children rarely spread COVID-19 to other children or adults.). However, while COVID-19-infected children are usually asymptomatic, weeks later they may develop an acute inflammatory condition, so use of natural anti-inflammatories like zinc, vitamins C & D should be continued for a few weeks following any viral infection.
With active androgen hormones, spikes on the surface of viruses cannot bind to angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2), a receptor implicated in severe COVID-19 acute respiratory syndrome. The protease enzyme is said to “eat” the spikes so they can connect to the ACE2. So, more androgen activity means more proteases, which leads to more severe infection.
As many as 70% of the scalp hairs are then shed in large numbers about 2-3 months after a “shock“. This sudden increase in hair loss (hair falling out in handfuls) is called acute telogen effluvium. High fevers, childbirth, severe infections, severe psychological stress, major surgery or illnesses, over or under-active thyroid hormone, crash diets with inadequate protein, and a variety of medications– retinoids, beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, antidepressants and anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) — are causal.
In the meantime, what is available to locked-down people who are experiencing hair loss?
Pumpkin seed oil is a natural 5-alpha reductase enzyme inhibitor. A 400-milligram daily dose of pumpkin seed oil has been found to restore hair (40% increase in hair count, for men –and women in this author’s experience). (Pumpkin seed oil completely eradicated this author’s bald spot and at age 75 I have a full head of hair!). This is photo-documentation of the positive effect of pumpkin seed oil on hair loss:
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