No One Told Me

February 15th, 2022

---

A couple of months after I got released from the hospital, I noticed my hair coming out more than normal. I thought that it was from getting my hair done recently. I told my sister-in-law that my hair was coming out in clumps and my hairbrush was full after brushing it. She said it was probably from getting it bleached, as I had suspected. So much came out when I brushed it or ran my fingers through my hair. I was scared; I thought that I was going bald because this wasn't normal after getting it lightened in the salon. A couple days passed, and my sister-in-law let me know that her sister, who does my hair, had said her coworkers were seeing hair loss in their clients who had Covid. I still thought it could have been from the bleaching because I didn't want to believe it. After I did some research about Covid-19 hair loss, I cried. I read that the shedding happens 2-3 months after the stressful illness. It's called telogen effluvium. I wouldn't have gotten my hair lightened if my hair was going to come out due to the stress that happened to my body but no one told me. I read that apart from nutrition and exercise, which help reduce stress, there's not much you can do for your hair. Of course, I already knew that good nutrition and exercise does wonders for your body and mind, so I decided to take action. I am taking prenatal supplements, proteins, and doing my best to stay hydrated. It has been about 3-4 weeks since I noticed the shedding. Brushing my hair gently every day saddens me. I think back to what I went through and how it's unfair that I got really sick. I think about the future of my lungs and mind. I think of how hopeful I can be to better myself. No one told me that life after Covid was going to be a wave of emotions.

I am unsure if Covid was really the cause of my hair loss, it was only something I read online and made sense. I know I cannot self diagnose myself so I plan to see a Dermatologist to hopefully get some answers and some help.