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. 2025 Oct 1;15(4):e20255417.
doi: 10.5826/dpc.1504a5417.

Post-COVID Hair Loss in the Indian Subcontinent: Clinical Patterns and Association with Disease Severity

Anshitha Vurimindi Kadudas  1 , Tina Priscilla Katta  2 , Neha Gala  3 , Anu Mohandas  4 , Manmohan Gavvala  2 , Rishita Pogula  1 , Sai Rashmitha Pagadala  1 , Anvi K Reddy  1 , Spurthi Subramanyam  1
Affiliations

Post-COVID Hair Loss in the Indian Subcontinent: Clinical Patterns and Association with Disease Severity

Anshitha Vurimindi Kadudas et al. Dermatol Pract Concept. .

Abstract

Introduction: As the pandemic plateaus, post-COVID alopecia is resurfacing in India. COVID-19 remains a pivotal cause of alopecia, and the diagnosis of post-COVID alopecia aids in better treatment outcomes.

Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of post-COVID alopecia and to evaluate the association between alopecia and COVID severity among other factors.

Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted among patients admitted to the COVID ward. Patients willing to participate were asked to fill in a pretested semi-structured questionnaire, and the PSS-10 (Perceived Stress Scale) was used to evaluate stress. Data were analyzed using the SPSS version 24.

Results: Prevalence of COVID-19-induced hair loss was 37.8%. Age, sex, COVID severity, and higher stress were the significant factors, with p-value <0.05. Female sex, COVID severity, and high stress levels came to be significant independent predictors of hair loss. A majority of participants (46.9%) noticed hair loss within three months of contracting the disease.

Conclusion: This study stands to be a pioneer project to investigate the prevalence of COVID-19-induced alopecia in India. The prevalence rate of 37.8% with a significant association with severity of COVID-19 highlights the importance of reviewing patient history to provide proper treatment and reassurance.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing Interests: None.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Prevalence of alopecia among post COVID patients. This pie chart illustrates the prevalence of hair loss among study participants, showing the percentages with and without hair loss.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Dietary habits of study participants. This figure illustrates the distribution of dietary habits among participants, comparing mixed and vegetarian diets, presented as percentages.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Family history of hair loss. The figure shows the prevalence of hair loss in male and female family members, with data presented as the percentage of participants reporting a family history of hair loss in each group.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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