The long term effects associated with COVID-19 will continue to be studied for years to come and as scientists learn more each day about this novel virus and the path of internal destruction it takes on the body, they are finding devastating lingering effects on the patient’s digestive and immune systems long after the patient has recovered.
While it is true that COVID-19, also known as Coronavirus or SARS-CoV-2, attacks primarily the respiratory system, a recent study discovered SARS-C0V-2 also present in stool samples of those affected by the virus, the digestive system the latest victim. If digestive and immune imbalance weren’t enough, patients recovering from COVID-19 are experiencing excessive hair loss as a result of the virus. What’s more shocking for those who have not contracted COVID-19 are also experiencing unexplained and sudden hair loss. Referred to as shock loss, experts on hair loss are sharing insight into the causes and what individuals can do at home to prevent and restore their hair to pre-pandemic lengths.
What is known is that hair sheds as a result of stress two to three months after a stressful event. Those undergoing hair restoration procedures, like FUE with SmartGraft for example, will typically experience normal shock loss two to eight weeks after their procedure. Six months into a worldwide pandemic that has left parents scrambling to find care for their children, the employed out of work, and loved ones separated from one another, those with no previous hair loss diagnosis are turning to hair loss solutions and seeking reasons for their apparently sudden predicament.
The good news? Shock loss is likely temporary. The better news? There are supplements that may help to lessen recovery time and guard your investment for years to come.
Gut Health and Nutritional Disruptions
Initial studies of COVID-19 indicate that the beneficial bacteria needed for a healthy immune system are depleted in both those recovering from the virus as well as those experiencing nutritional disruptions due to the pandemic. Our body relies on a healthy balance of trillions of microbes, mostly bacteria on our skin and in our gut. These beneficial microbiomes are necessary for effectively breaking down bad bacteria and eliminating or reducing inflammation in our body. Quickly rebuilding those healthy bacteria stores in our gut is vital to recovery. Rebuilding these healthy stores can be part of a healthy diet of foods with prebiotics and probiotics. These include kimchi, yogurt with active cultures and garlic, asparagus, apples, sauerkraut and onions. Additionally, it is important to avoid refined carbohydrates and processed foods. For those seeking additional support, supplements like LOCKrx DEFENSE by Smart Solutions RX, Inc., may help to support a healthy immune system, working from the gut to support overall health and wellness. DEFENSE is offered as a prebiotic supplement in a powdered from. Its unique nature contain anti-inflammatory properties to soothe and address gut health-related issues that may contribute to hair thinning and hair loss. DEFENSE is considered the first line of defense against total body inflammation. Supplied as an easy to mix powder added to a blended beverage, DEFENSE lays the groundwork for a healthy gut.
Energy Stores and Sleep Disruptions
If you’re experiencing stress or losing sleep at night, it won’t take an expert to tell you how exhausting stress is on the body. Healthy diet can’t protect you from the depleted energy stores, and that affects our overall well-being, right down to the shock loss. SmartGraft Physician and hair loss restoration specialist, Dr. Alan Bauman shares that “Your body expends a great deal of energy making hair…for perspective, a single gram of hair, which is about the quantity of hair you could fit into a standard sugar packet, requires nearly 650kJ of energy to produce, which is about the energy required for about 15 minutes of vigorous cardio exercise” When our bodies are stressed, whether from a virus like COVID-19, or from stress as a result of the effects of the world pandemic, our cortisol levels become imbalanced. These factors when combined with sleep disruptions, deplete energy stores continue to affect follicle function, often. Smart Solutions offers LOCKrx BLOCK as a follicle enrichment supplement formulated with the LOCKrx proprietary blend of botanicals, adaptogens, marine collagen and Saw Palmetto, known to support hair growth and help to block the conversion of testosterone to DHT, which is involved in the shrinking process of hair follicles. Taken twice per day as part of the LOCKrx Healthy Inside three step plan, adaptogens in BLOCK may help to reduce the body’s response to stress, providing a better night’s sleep and protecting our scalps from follicle dysfunction.
Guarding Your Future
While it’s true that hair shedding is a known side effect of COVID-19, shock loss is a very real side effect, regardless of a COVID-19 diagnosis, a hair restoration procedure, or from stress. The entire world has experienced changes in routines and the pandemic has affected our psychological and physical responses. The good news is that with diet and exercise and a healthy hair support maintenance program, most hair loss is reversible within six months of the stressful event. In addition to defending and blocking the body against these stresses and supporting a healthy gut, LOCKrx offers GUARD as a premier blend of complexed super Vitamin B and biotin in supplement form Vitamin B Complex. These ingredients are known to promote conditions to support healthy hair. GUARD vitalizes the healthy hair you have with comprehensive stack of B vitamin and Biotin and is formulated for better nutritional absorption to protect and guard against hair loss. Solutions offered by LOCKrx may very well restore your confidence and protect your scalp. For more information on LOCKrx, visit www.lockrxhair.com
