Hair Loss Affects Vastly Greater Proportions of Women Post COVID Than Men

Women Almost 5 Times More Likely to Experience Hair loss After COVID 19 Infection

A new study from Spain highlights some very important differences between males and females in the weeks and months following COVID 19 infection. We have discussed before that a proportion of patients who have experienced COVID infection have a prolonged course and experience a variety of issues including hair loss, memory loss, attention loss, anxiety, depression, cough, fatigue, loss of smell and taste. In fact the constellation of nearly 50 possible symptoms have persist beyond 3 weeks after the end of the acute infection is referred to as Post COVID Syndrome (or COVID long hauler).

Males and Females Have Similar Symptoms During the Acute Stage of Illness

A study from Spain by Fernandez-de-Las-Penas and colleagues showed that males and female have similar course in hospital during acute infection. Comparison of 1045 males and 915 females showed that issues like fever, shortness of breath, muscle pains, throat pain, loss of smell, loss of taste and even days in hospital did not differ between males and females.

Females Have More Symptoms During the Post COVID Period

Interestingly further analyses showed that female patients were more likely to have a variety of symptoms after the acute stage had finished. Female patients were 2.54 times more likely to have 3 more more symptoms, 4.5 times more likely to have hair loss, 1.5 times more likely to have fatigue, 1.4 times more likely to have shortness of breath (dyspnea), 1.3 times more likely to have pain and headaches symptoms, 2 times more likely to have eye problems. Depression and poor sleep were also more likely in female patients compared to male patients. Females were 1.6 times more likely to experience depressive symptoms and 1.6 times more likely to experience poor sleep.

Comment

Women are more likely to experience a variety of post covid symptoms. Hair loss is at the top of the list with 37 % of women in this study having post COVID hair loss compared to 12 % of males. Hair loss is clearly a huge issue around the world with the numbers of people affected. It is important for the hair specialist to recognize post COVID hair loss and to screen for the other issues which can go along with the post COVID syndrome including scalp pain, memory issues, depression, poor sleep, loss of smell, loss of taste, attention issues, cough, muscle pain, join pain, headaches.

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REFERENCE

Fernandez-de-Las-Penas et al. Female Sex Is a Risk Factor Associated with Long-Term Post-COVID Related-Symptoms but Not with COVID-19 Symptoms: The LONG-COVID-EXP-CM Multicenter Study. J Clin Med . 2022 Jan 14;11(2):413.