Researchers have created several vaccines that can help prevent COVID-19. And like any other vaccine, these have documented potential side effects. Hair loss may be one of these effects.

Some research suggests that hair loss is a possible, but uncommon, side effect of one or more of these vaccines.

But the evidence isn’t conclusive on which vaccines carry a higher risk of hair loss or what exact mechanism might cause hair loss after vaccination.

Read on to learn more about what the research says about a connection between COVID-19 vaccines and hair loss. We also cover when to seek treatment and how to reverse and treat hair loss.

Studies don’t show any clear connection between COVID-19 vaccination and hair loss.

One 2022 study involving 883 women and 95 men who had previously received a COVID-19 vaccine found that more than 67% of people experienced several types of hair loss after vaccination. Most of them had telogen effluvium (TE).

Less common types of hair loss included:

Researchers saw a link between vaccination and hair loss in about 19% of people, and half of those people already had some hair loss before vaccination.

A 2023 study examined hair loss in 2,000 people in Egypt who received a COVID-19 vaccine. About 24% of them, 478 people, had hair loss after receiving a vaccine. But the authors also mentioned that they couldn’t count out the role of stress and inflammation as possible causes of the hair loss.

Some studies have also explored the relationship between alopecia areata and COVID-19 as well as vaccination.

A 2022 study of 69 people with alopecia areata found some evidence to suggest that COVID-19 vaccination led to more rapid hair loss because of the increased inflammation in the body resulting from the vaccine. But the authors also state that these kinds of episodes are rare and that inflammation from COVID-19 leads to even more harmful inflammation.

A 2022 case study and a small 2023 study of five people both suggest that inflammation from COVID-19 vaccinations may also trigger alopecia.

More research is needed to study this possible connection.

No comprehensive study has measured which COVID-19 vaccines have been linked to reports of hair loss. None of the COVID-19 vaccines have been directly linked to hair loss.

That’s mostly because of the design of the various studies. A minority of people in each study reported hair loss after receiving vaccines.

And in these small groups of people, there’s no one vaccine that most of them received, making it difficult to know if any one vaccine carries a higher risk.

TE, which COVID-19 vaccination may trigger, typically lasts about 6 to 9 months. That’s because hair goes into a prolonged resting phase before follicles begin to regrow hairs.

COVID-19 itself can cause hair loss. That’s because of the inflammation associated with the disease as well as the stress that can come with the illness and having to quarantine while you’re sick.

The most common type of hair loss is TE. This usually only causes hair loss on about half of the scalp for about 2 to 3 months after COVID-19, and the shedding lasts for 3 to 6 months.

Hair loss itself isn’t usually life threatening, and hair will usually grow back after COVID-19. You can contact a doctor if you have any concerns about your hair loss.

Medical emergency

It’s possible that your COVID-19 vaccination could trigger an allergic reaction.

Call the emergency medical services or go to the nearest emergency room if you experience the following symptoms of a severe allergic reaction called anaphylaxis:

Most hair loss resulting from TE will reverse on its own after a few months. But there are some ways to speed this up.

Treatment options include:

  • minoxidil (Rogaine) shampoo or solution to help stimulate hair growth
  • finasteride (Propecia) or spironolactone to slow down hair loss or stimulate hair growth
  • corticosteroid injections or oral medications to help prevent or treat hair loss associated with alopecia areata
  • hair transplants to move hair from another part of your body to your scalp
  • microneedling devices to stimulate hair growth

You can also try avoiding some practices that can cause hair loss, such as:

  • tugging or pulling on your hair when you brush it
  • putting your hair in braids or ponytails or getting extensions
  • getting perms or hot oil treatments

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that most people older than 6 months still get vaccinated against COVID-19 to help protect against severe illness, which may be life threatening.

Speak with a doctor before getting vaccinated against COVID-19 if you:

  • are allergic to any of the ingredients in the vaccines
  • had a severe reaction to the first dose of the vaccine
  • have an allergy to polyethylene glycol or polysorbate

There’s no definitive causative connection between COVID-19 vaccines and hair loss.

Stress and inflammation associated with the vaccine can trigger hair loss in limited cases, but these effects aren’t limited to COVID-19 vaccines.

COVID-19 is known to lead to hair loss and can have much more severe symptoms. If it’s safe for you, and if you haven’t already, consider getting a vaccine to help prevent COVID-19.