Hair Loss? Could Be Due to the Coronavirus Pandemic [VIDEO]

As if 2020 hasn't already given us an overabundance of misfortune... Doctors are now reporting an increase in stress-related hair loss known as shock hair loss, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic.

Shock hair loss can cause people to shed large amounts of hair sometimes following a stressful event.

And who hasn't experienced some sort of stress in the last several months? Financial strain, unemployment, fear of contracting COVID-19, and even the stress of working from home can be enough to trigger additional stress, sometimes enough to cause shock hair loss according to Dr. Shilpi Khetarpal of the Cleveland Clinic.

“When there’s a big stress, whether it’s physical, emotional, you get sick, this can be things like financial stress, medications, anxiety, really any big shock to your system, can push up to 50% of those hairs prematurely into your shedding phase,” Khetarpal tells WDIV.

Doctors say it takes people several months to experience stress-related hair loss after going through traumatic times. Since we are nop several months into the pandemic, people are starting to see the effects stress is having on them.

Khetarpal recommends concentrating on a healthy lifestyle in order to combat the effects of stress-related hair loss.

“Exercise, take care of yourself, make sure you’re eating a well-balanced diet,” Khetarpal said. “We know things like protein are the building blocks for our hair, our skin, our nails, so make sure you’re eating a diet that has a higher protein.”