Asunción, IP Agency.- The head of the Dermatology Chair and Service of the Faculty of Medical Sciences of UNA, Arnaldo Aldama, affirmed that more than 50 percent of patients with chikungunya manifest some skin lesion and hair loss is very frequent, especially in the recovery stage. In this note he explains why it affects the hair, but he stated that it is reversible.
He recalled that hair is a dynamic entity that has three stages, one of which is the growth phase called the anagen phase, then there is the catagen phase, which is when the hair stops growing, and finally there is the telogen phase, which is when it falls. He commented that the hair is renewed every two to three years, it is a normal cycle.
However, he reported that when one suffers from a febrile illness, such as dengue, covid-19 and currently chikungunya, blood does not reach all vital territories equally.
He added that, 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.
He explained that since there is a shortage in the blood supply, this also implies a lack of sufficient nutrients to the hair root. “Therefore, that cycle that we had talked regarding is cut off and hair loss occurs, in this case it is usually an anagen effluvium (massive hair loss),” he said, detailing that sometimes the loss occurs in a short period of time. time, but at other times it may be going on for six months.
However, he stated that it is a reversible fall, at least in an order of more than 90 percent. He added that when the body begins to balance once more, to recover, it sends blood to all territories once more and that is where new hairs will begin to grow, but it takes time because it is a structure that does not grow very quickly, only at best following two or three months.
Apart from hair loss, when a person goes through a feverish 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.
On the other hand, he said that the nail also sometimes presents grooves, it can become brittle, which are consequences of these diseases such as chikungunya, dengue and zika.
Treatment
He pointed out that there are general measures to take and possibly other measures that must be determined by the dermatologist. The general measures would be to optimize washing, not using very intense hairstyles, not using curlers, or stretching the hair.
He affirmed that as hair loss attributed to the indirect action of the virus begins to occur, due to poor circulatory redistribution, the person worries. This adds one more cause, which is of a psychological nature, stress, and she spends stretching her hair every so often to see if it falls or not and that is a mechanical issue that is adding negatively, she warned.
“Everything happens because the patient understands that it is a situation secondary to his infection, that it is reversible and that cosmetic care must be taken to extremes, washing his hair with a mild shampoo and styling that does not involve much traction. Eat a good diet, which is generally necessary following this type of infection, and a vitamin booster, because not only is there a drop in hair loss, but in general, more so in the case of chikungunya, which is a disease that tends to be prolonged by the issue of joint and muscle pain that patients are referring to,” he said.
Once the noxa, the cause, disappears, the body tends to normalize. Prof. Dr. Aldama mentioned that there are times when the patient has another cause of hair loss, which would be the case of androgenetic alopecia, that is, due to genetic factors, which remains visible following the anagen effluvium that is gave because of the viral disease.
Patients who wish to consult with specialists from the Department of Dermatology of the Faculty of Medical Sciences of the UNA and their Hospital de Clínicas must make an appointment in advance by calling one of the following numbers: 021 3399366/7/8 or 021 339971. offices work both morning and followingnoon, Monday through Friday.
