Post-COVID hair loss is real and almost never permanent.

Post-COVID hair loss is real, common, and almost never permanent. The mechanism is telogen effluvium. Significant illness pushes a large fraction of follicles into the resting (telogen) phase, and they all shed together a few months later.

Typical timeline: shedding starts 2–3 months after the infection, runs for several months, and density returns to baseline by 6–9 months. The follicles aren’t damaged.

What helps: addressing iron and thyroid if low, eating enough, sleep. What doesn’t: hair-growth supplements unless you have an actual deficiency.