Data from the Hospital de Clínicas indicate that more than 50% of patients with chikungunya manifest some skin lesion and hair loss is very frequent, especially in the recovery stage.
Prof. Dr. Arnaldo Aldama, head of the Dermatology Chair and Service of the Faculty of Medical Sciences of UNA – Hospital de Clínicas, recalled that Hair is a dynamic entity that has three stages, one of which is growth, which is called the anagen phase; then there is the catagen, which is when the hair stops growing; and finally there is the telogen stage, which is when it falls. He commented that the hair is renewed every two to three years, it is a normal cycle.
“When one suffers from a febrile illness, as with dengue, covid-19 and currently chikungunya, the blood does not reach all vital territories equally; For example, distribution is prioritized for muscles, the heart, among others, and neglects circulation in structures and organs that are not too vital, such as the hair follicle, which is the opening in the skin through which hair grows. So, since there is a shortage in the blood supply, this also implies a lack of sufficient nutrients at the hair root, therefore the cycle that we had talked about is interrupted and hair loss occurs”, the professional said.
However, he stated that it is a reversible fall, at least in an order of more than 90%. He added that when the body begins to balance again, to recover, it sends blood to all the territories again and that is where new hairs will begin to grow, but it takes time because it is a structure that does not grow very fast, only after two or three months.
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Apart from hair loss, When a person goes through a febrile illness, they may suffer from dry hair. He explained that the scalp has many combinations of sebaceous glands and they are not so essential, so they also diminish and dryness can appear.
Likewise, the nail sometimes presents grooves, it can become brittle, which are consequences of these diseases such as chikungunya, dengue and zika.
