Telogen effluvium after COVID-19 vaccination among public in Saudi Arabia

BACKGROUND: Number of reports linked Telogen effluvium to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection. However, data about Telogen effluvium after COVID-19 vaccination are limited. OBJECTIVES: To estimate prevalence of Telogen effluvium among those who received COVID-19 vaccination. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed during July 2021. Adults who received one of recognized COVID-19 vaccine irrespective of previous COVID-19 infection were asked to fill a questionnaire. RESULTS: The majority of participants were females (90.3%). The most common age group was between 21 and 30 years (51.9%). Out of 991 participants who were included in the current analysis, 670 (67.6%) reported post-vaccination hair fall. The probable causes of post-vaccination hair fall were vaccine-related in 185 (27.6%) participants, other causes in 326 (48.7%) participants, and unclear in 326 (48.7%) participants. Post-vaccination hair fall was significantly higher among females compared with males (68.5% versus 57.9%, P = 0.036), those who did not suffer compared with those who suffered from hair fall before vaccination (72.1% versus 63.4%, P = 0.003), and those who did not report compared with those who reported preexisting conditions that might be related to hair fall (74.5% versus 57.3%, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: We are reporting a high prevalence of post-vaccination hair fall, which affected approximately two-thirds of participants who received COVID-19 vaccines. Only 28% of these participants were apparently vaccine related. The role of COVID-19 infection and stress caused by infection and vaccine cannot be excluded. Primary care physician and dermatologist need to consider the possibility of COVID-19 vaccine as a potential cause of hair loss.