As if you don’t have enough to be concerned about during the pandemic, some people are now noticing an unexpected change in their bodies after all these weeks of lockdowns and social distancing.
We’ve all heard about weight gain, trouble sleeping, even depression during the coronavirus pandemic, but now some are discovering another unexpected issue — hair loss.
Dermatologist Dr. Sandra Lee, star of the TLC show Doctor Pimple Popper says more of her patients are complaining of sudden, startling hair loss.
“What people come in and complain about is they say ‘Oh my gosh, when I brush my hair, all this hair’s falling out, I’m seeing more in my bed, in my shower drain, my hair is falling out what is going on’ and it’s really scary to men and women,” said Lee.
A recent TikTok struck a nerve with millions when Lee explained what’s it’s called and what’s causing it.
It’s called telogen effluvium.
“If maybe three to six months ago you know that you experienced a pretty stressful event, whether it be physical or mental stress that you went through,” said. Lee.
Lee says new shampoo or any other dubious miracle cures won’t help. If it’s stress-related, it should get better, in time.
“Try your best to not get too stressed out about it, because that’s not going to help things,” said Lee. “It’s just part of a normal pattern of your body’s response, your hair’s response to stress.”
If it is telogen effluvium Lee says you should see short new hairs emerging where your old hair was falling out. If you don’t, see your dermatologist to check for other causes.
