Evaluation of the effects of COVID‐19 pandemic on hair diseases through a web‐based questionnaire

Abstract

Aim Current quarantine conditions are a difficult process for individuals and can worsen the psychological state. Increased psychosocial stress can affect the course of many common “stress‐sensitive” skin conditions. This study examined the possible effects of COVID‐19 on hair and scalp diseases such as telogen effluvium (TE), alopecia areata (AA), and seborrheic dermatitis (SD) in individuals who had to stay at home for a long time and the patients’ methods of dealing with these diseases. Methods The study was conducted using an online questionnaire. All the individuals were asked questions about pre and post‐pandemic TE, AA, and SD. Participants with complaints were asked what they did for treatment. Results During the pandemic, TE was seen in 27.9% of the participants, AA on the scalp was seen in 2.8%, AA on the face was seen in 2.5% and SD was seen in 19.9%. Applying to a dermatologist for complaints during the pandemic was lower than before pandemic. TE was higher in women before and during the pandemic Conclusion It was found that the rates of referring to a dermatologist for the complaints before the pandemic varied between 15 and 28% and that these rates decreased significantly during the pandemic (2.5‐12.5%). This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Post-discharge persistent symptoms and health-related quality of life after hospitalization for COVID-19

“…Surprisingly, many patients (mainly women) spontaneously reported significant hair loss, which may correspond to a telogen effluvium , secondary to viral infection and/or a stress generated by the hospitalization and the disease. 6 Nevertheless, HRQoL was quite satisfactory, as most patients who had a professional activity before the infection went back to work.…”

Assessment of the Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on population level interest in Skincare: Evidence from a google trends-based Infodemiology study

“…2 In addition, dermatitis patients who have skin problems like hair and scalp diseases usually needed to take treatment from hospitals now also suffering from this situation. 3 With the increase of internet users around the globe, Infodemiology has become a very useful informatics method, especially for epidemic and pandemic situations. The Infodemiology study provides real-time surveillance in the health system by Google Trends which has already been used for studying epidemics like the 2009 influenza.…”

The role of androgens in COVID-19

“…The other type of hair loss that may be seen in COVID-19 condition is telogen effluvium, which is recognized by sporadic hair loss, and the hair quickly enters the telogen stage due to conditions such as systemic disorders, stressful situations, medications, nutrient deficiencies, and surgeries [ 44 ]. The results of an observational/cross-sectional study on 563 participants during the COVID-19 pandemic, telogen effluvium were observed in 27.9% of the participants [ 45 ].…”