COVID-19 Vaccine Induced Hair Loss

Can the Sars-COV-2 (COVID 19) Vaccines Can Hair Loss?

I’ve selected this question below for this week’s question of the week. It allows us to review the concept of hair loss from vaccines.

Question

I had my first vaccine in April 2021 and my second in June 2021. My booster was in Jan 2022. I have had problems with hair shedding throughout 2021 and it has become particularly a problem in 2022. I feel that the vaccines probably contributed in some way because in March 2022 I developed scalp inflammation too along with muscle pains, fatigue and periodic headaches.

Do you see patients with vaccines causing hair loss issues and other more widespread issues?

Answer

Thanks for the great question. It’s possible for vaccines to cause hair loss as well as systemic issues. There can be both short term temporary issues which are somewhat well characterized and then long term persistent issues which are not so well studied yet.

Short term, we know that vaccines can cause fever, chills, headaches, fatigue, short pains, muscle pains. We know the frequency of these fairly well because they have been documented fairly well in trials

Longer term term issues and persistent issues are less common and not as well studied.

Hair Loss and COVID Vaccines

A proper evaluation is needed for everyone with hair loss associated with COVID vaccines. These can be pretty complex issues. Sometimes the hair loss issues are unrelated and the vaccine timing is a coincidence and sometimes the vaccines is very much related. For those situations where the vaccine is felt to be related it’s important for the hair specialist to figure out if the vaccine likely caused the issue or simply made an existing issue worse.

In the clinic, we deal with a variety of clinical scenario after COVID vaccines. These include telogen effluvium, , alopecia areata, lichen planopilaris, dermatomyositis and lupus. Vaccines can cause shedding with weeks to months after vaccination. Vaccines can rarely cause new onset alopecia areata and a flare of existing alopecia areata. Flares of lichen planopilaris, a type of scarring alopecia, have been reported.

See Articles

Flare of Lichen Planopilaris After COVID Vaccines

Alopecia Areata: COVID Vaccines and Infections Can Both Act as Triggers

9 Cases of Alopecia Areata After COVID Vaccination

COVID Vaccines and Alopecia Areata

COVID Vaccines and Autoimmunity in General

It’s also recognized that vaccines can affect a variety of other autoimmune diseases. I don’t see these all that much in my hair loss clinic but they include rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma flares, idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpusa, Sjogren’s sydrome

Final Comments

Thanks for the question. I would encourage you to first get a formal diagnosis for what’s going on. Then, your hair specialist can help determine whether it’s a coincidence or a contributor. Treatments are similar regardless of whether it’s a concidence or contributor. The key is whether to have the same type of vaccine again. There’s no right answer.

With at least 7 million deaths so far from COVID 19 (and estimates likely suggest closer to 20 million), it’s important that we reduce morbidity and mortality from COVID 19. Vaccines help do that so it’s by no means a simple topic when it comes to what to do with vaccine related side effects. The risks and benefits need to be weighed for everyone.