Covid-19: Mental Health and Hair Loss
What was once a local outbreak has escalated into a global issue, with the Covid-19 pandemic affecting people all over the world. Many have lost their loved ones and their means to survive. Sadly, it doesn’t end there. The pandemic is continuously causing damages to people’s mental health, resulting in physiological reactions including – among others – hair loss.
Let us call you
Understanding hair growth cycle
Stress-related hair loss is known as Telogen Effluvium (EF), which is part of the body’s natural mechanism in responding to mental and physical stress. Normally, 90% of a person’s hair is actively in the growing phase called anagen; the rest in the resting phase called telogen. Hairs in telogen will fall out after some time and reset back to anagen. But stressful situations can disrupt the mechanism and increase the percentage of hairs prematurely entering the telogen, resulting in thinning and even balding of hair.
Although TE is a reversible condition, a long term effect may impact hair regrowth. Considering how the pandemic has been spanning over the long period, the deteriorating mental health of many people might have worsened it.
Mental health and hair loss
Anxiety
In theory, although anxiety and stress are not interchangeable, both conditions are interconnected with the latter being the contributing factor to the former. Anxiety is basically a result of continuous stress, which will ultimately affect your hair growth phase.
Besides that, anxiety can trigger another mental disorder called Trichotillomania. Classified under Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders, Trichotillomania involves pathological hair pulling. Due to its obsessive nature, people suffering from this condition tend to lose hair quicker, hence, burdening them with more social distress and physical harm such as tissue damage and itching.
Depression
Written by Deena Yusoff
Approved by Datuk Dr. Inder
