If you are one of the many people typing, “Is hair loss a symptom of Covid?” into your search bar, as per recent stats from Google Trends, you will have been relieved to learn the answer is no. Or at least, not quite. The truth is that if you are experiencing hair loss, there is a high chance the stress that accompanies a worldwide pandemic might be causing it. “Believe it or not, stress is the second biggest cause of hair loss after genetics,” says Dr Bessam Farjo, hair restoration surgeon at Farjo Hair Institute.

Panic not, there are a number of ways to treat hair loss (more on this shortly). But if you are simply worried that the stress you’re enduring right now will impact your hair growth in the future, it isn’t always a given. Stressful events that happened months ago can impact hair growth three to six months down the line – often you won’t notice – but not always. “Trauma-induced hair loss is usually temporary, and it tends to return once stress levels are reduced,” explains Dr Farjo. “If you’re worried about it and haven’t got to the root of the problem, it’s worth getting in touch with a professional for advice.

One treatment option is low level light (laser) therapy. A key element of hair is keratin, which is derived from protein, so boosting protein production in the scalp strengthens the formation of keratin and the hair itself. That’s why low-level light treatments can work: “If you bathe the scalp in light at a certain frequency (650nm), it penetrates the skin, stimulating the cells beneath to produce more protein. It works best on areas where hair is still present, but thinning,” Dr Farjo explains.

Click here to read the full ‘8 ways to deal with stress-related thinning hair’ Vogue article