Does anyone have problems with hair loss with post-COVID?

jmb73, My bloodwork was all over the place after Covid. They thought I was pre-diabetic, that I needed a liver ultrasound and that my pituary gland had stopped working. My cortisol level was extremely high. I explained about just getting over Covid and a month later, all my bloodwork was back to normal. I have heard this from others as well after Covid. I did not do well with the anti-thinning shampoos, but, please see what I wrote about hair loss after Covid that has helped me. I know it's scary, but, it does eventually stop thinning/shedding so much. This nasty virus effects so many things in our body. If you have thyroid issues, do not take Biotin before you have bloodwork done or your thyroid levels will be off. Come off of it for at least a week. Biotin, personally did not work for me for hair loss. Blessings & Prayers.....

I had covid (the 1st time) in Aug '21. A couple of mos. later, my hair started falling out in giant clumps/handsful. This continued for at least 3 mos. Then, it started slowing down. In the meantime, I had begun taking biotin per recommendation by my sister, who is a cosmetologist. I tried to tell myself it was just daily shedding adding up because I'd been too weak/sick to brush or wash my hair very often, but I knew there was no way that could account for all of the hair loss. When I finally went in to the salon for a trim about 6 mos. after I first got covid, my stylist was shocked to see how thin my hair had gotten. I had always had very thick hair before this. She said she could see my scalp! My son told me the same thing. I almost cried. But, my hair continued to regrow and, even though I got covid a 2nd time, my hair is back to its usual thickness again. My 2nd bout with covid was nowhere near as bad as the 1st. The 1st time, I had a fever for 11 days straight and couldn't eat almost anything at all for 2 weeks. This was too hard on my body and had caused my hair follicles to close up while my body focused on healing and surviving.

Like someone else said already, I, too, ended up with extremely low ferritin (a protein that stores iron). I also had low B12. The low ferritin, combined with a fungal ball in my sphenoid sinus that nobody discovered for almost 2 yrs, caused me all sorts of neurological issues, too ... hand tremors, 24/7 vertigo that lasted for 5 mos until I began taking iron supplements, continued vertigo multiple times a day for the next 1 1/2 yrs until an ENT told me I needed surgery to remove the fungal ball, dailtly excruciating and debilitating headaches, tingling all over my body, mobility/gait incoordination so bad I had to use a cane & walker for many months, confusion, heart palpitations, etc.

Good luck on the hair loss and any other long covid symptoms. Hang in there. Keep researching, pressing forward, getting 2nd & 3rd opinions, & pushing for testing until all of your issues are resolved. You won't regret it!

My hair is still falling out every day in the shower and when I dry my hair its all over the walls and the floors. My hair is dry and brittle since I had covid December 2021. Covid has affected me from head to toe. And still having problems to this day. Hope we can all get better soon.

One more thought. Women can lose hair too if their thyroid is not working properly. Many women have this problem and do not know it. If you haven’t checked then good idea to do so. Fatigue is another indicator.

Thank you for all your comments. I have bloodwork tomorrow and hope it's back to normal. Unfortunately, I also just got over the flu.

I had significant hair loss post-COVID and went to a Dermatologist who specializes in hair loss.
I have been on a drug called Finasteride for 2 years. My hair is healthy again. However, I have to keep taking it indefinitely. I haven't had any side effects. Hope that helps. Another Long Covid friend, the only one I know, did the same thing and has had the same positive result. I take 1/2 of a 5 mg tablet daily.

Totally agree about Covid affecting me from head to toe! And medical professionals say, " but you look normal" can be irritating and challenging. I absolutely hate the damage that's been done to my body. The hair loss and thinning is depressing, but hoping the biotin, omegas, and anti-inflammatories will help with improvement in it all. Hope we all can get better soon, too.

You are right about having to take it forever. If one stops taking it, regrown hair falls out. I am too concerned about that happening...e.g., what if I get sick and forget, go on vacation and forget, take to long to get a refill, etc. etc. But so glad the drug is working for you!

I got Covid in dec 2020… was sick around 3wks then took 3 months before I actually felt “normal” again… then 3 mos later I started having “symptoms”. A long varying list of them.
Anyway, one of them was hair loss, but it wasn’t BAD until the 2nd round of long covid symptoms. My symptoms seem to fluctuate in a cycle of 3mos feeling absolutely back to normal, then 6mos of not being normal… if I can say that in the ONLY positive way.
But when the hair was falling out it was substantial. I’m lucky to have very unnaturally thick hair so no one noticed but me. It did finally stop falling out but I can honestly say it isn’t back to normal. I feel that it is improving but for me still very noticeable.
My mom on the other hand had very thin hair and was already diagnosed with alopecia but after she got covid her hair is almost non existent and she lost her eyelashes and eyebrows….

Hair loss after Covid was only temporary for me…..the hair will come back! YEA!