Alyssa Milano reveals hair loss from COVID-19


Actress Alyssa Milano took to Instagram to warn her followers of the lasting effects of COVID-19. She posted a video of herself brushing her wet hair, and after three strokes with a clean brush, she reveals a clump of hair that fell out. She then repeats the process a few times.
Milano said she was sick with coronavirus symptoms late March into April, but multiple COVID-19 tests came back negative. After four months of lingering symptoms, she got a blood-drawn antibody test, which showed she was positive for COVID-19 antibodies.
Shilpi Khetarpal, a dermatologist at Cleveland Clinic, said in an article that she is seeing an increase in reports of hair loss in patients who had COVID-19 two to three months ago. The condition is called telogen effluvium, which is temporary hair loss due to a "shock to the system," she said. "[It] isn't a symptom of COVID-19 as much as it is a consequence of the infection." The condition can last up to nine months, and most cases resolve on their own.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Milano concluded her video by saying, "One brushing, this is my hair loss from COVID-19. Wear a damn mask." Watch the video below. Taylor Watson
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Alyssa Milano (@milano_alyssa) on Aug 9, 2020 at 1:23pm PDT
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Taylor Watson is audience engagement editor for TheWeek.com and a former editorial assistant. She graduated from Syracuse University, with a major in magazine journalism and minors in food studies and nutrition. Taylor has previously written for Runner's World, Vice, and more.
-
'A symbol of the faceless corporate desire'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Say farewell to summer at these underrated US lakes
The Week Recommends Have one last blast
-
Truck drivers are questioning the Trump administration's English mandate
Talking Points Some have praised the rules, others are concerned they could lead to profiling
-
Florida erases rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclub
Speed Read The colorful crosswalk was outside the former LGBTQ nightclub where 49 people were killed in a 2016 shooting
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's ills
Speed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, Stallone
Speed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
-
White House seeks to bend Smithsonian to Trump's view
Speed Read The Smithsonian Institution's 21 museums are under review to ensure their content aligns with the president's interpretation of American history
-
Charlamagne Tha God irks Trump with Epstein talk
Speed Read The radio host said the Jeffrey Epstein scandal could help 'traditional conservatives' take back the Republican Party
-
CBS cancels Colbert's 'Late Show'
Speed Read 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is ending next year
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposes
speed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wife
speed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play