One of the many reported side effects of COVID-19 is hair loss.
Now although it may sound a tad freaky and a little uncommon, hair loss is in fact not unusual after suffering from a fever or illness.
Hair loss, aka 'trichodynia' or 'telogen' effluvium, happens when hair enters a stage of shedding (or ‘the growth lifecycle’) at the same time as you suffer from a sickness, forcing more hair loss into the phase, exacerbating thinning.
According to dermatologist Professor Rodney Sinclair from Melbourne, hair loss is on the increase and mainly noted by women who notice the thinning more than men, particularly by those who have thicker and longer hair.
“It’s really with all hair, but they (women with long hair) tend to notice it more because it’s more spectacular with the long hair” said Dr. Sinclair.
Another possible cause could be COVID related, but not due to the illness – but stress.
Even if you never developed a fever or COVID-19, you can still suffer hair loss thank to emotional stress forcing more hairs than normal into that old-chestnut phase of shedding.
“It’s what they call a post-stressful event. But it’s got nothing to do with emotional stress”, said Dr. Sinclair.
“If you stress the body physically there are defence mechanisms to try to preserve critical functions and they will often divert metabolic activity away from non-essential functions. “This is one of those areas where the body diverts energy and calories away from investing in hair, so it can preserve vital organs. And it’s not a problem limited to COVID. We see it after people have had very high fevers, we see it after people have had prolonged surgery, we see it after they have lost litres of blood.
“And so it’s a very common thing that normally occurs about three months after the triggering event” he said. The good news? The hair loss is only temporary, and unless there is another more serious cause, most will recover according to Professor Sinclair. Lucky there are a number of all-natural solutions to choose from for those on the road to recovery.
The body needs protein to grow new hair. Examples of healthful dietary protein sources include beans, eggs, fish, nuts, lean nuts, and seeds.
Iron is another nutrient the body requires to grow healthy hair. Some dietary iron sources include clams, lentils, pumpkin seed, spinach, lean be According to the authors of 2011 study paper, aromatherapy can help stimulate hair growth.
Used for thousands of years, essential oils and herbs are a tried and tested solution for promoting hair growth, along the aroma promoting less stress (win/win!). Stand out favourite scents used for the promotion of hair growth include cedarwood, lavender, rosemary, thyme and tulsi.
When used on the scalp, mix a few oils to coconut or walnut oil.
It's little wonder black seed oil is growing in popularity as a proven remedy for hair loss.
Just one of the many, many benefits of black seed oil is its well-recognised and proven ability to create luscious, unbreakable, and impossibly long hair. The secret ingredient is a component called thymoquinone which contains both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory qualities, helping to create a supportive scalp environment, resulting in less shedding, a significant reduction in thinning and off-the-charts growth.
Yet another magical inclusion beneficial to beautiful hair are the amino acids in black seed oil. These nifty compounds help to seal moisture into your hair shaft, reducing frizz and nourishing your scalp along with improving the health of your hair follicles with doses of omega 3 increasing blood circulation promoting, and yes, even more hair growth!
Black seed oil is so powerful as a hair loss remedy it is recommended for such conditions as alopecia and alopecia areata. You can use black seed oil directly on your hair or ingest it orally by using it in cooking, swishing in your mouth or even putting a little on your toothbrush and brushing your teeth with it (it also whitens your teeth and prevents tooth decay!).
To use topically, you can take some black seed oil and massage on your scalp to stimulate your scalp, leave it in for half an hour, and then wash.
Massaging the scalp helps stimulate blood flow to the scalp, which could help encourage hair growth.
A small Japanese study Trusted Source found that those who suffered from hair loss and massaged their scalps for just 4 minutes per day with a scalp massage device had thicker hair after only 6-months!
Aside from a light massage, it’s essential to treat your hair with more care than usual during the grow-back period. This means easing off the use of your blow dryer and trusty GHD, ditch styling products, avoid tight hair and washing your hair less to encourage natural oils.
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