Young Woman Claims Catching Covid Eight Times Left Her Bald
A 23-year-old woman, Lydia Morley, has revealed that contracting Covid-19 eight times resulted in her complete baldness.
Lydia, who enjoyed taking photos of herself, noticed her long, thick brown hair thinning and falling out in the shower starting in November 2023. By January 2024, when her parents discovered a bald patch on the back of her head, she decided to see her doctor.
She was diagnosed with alopecia areata, a condition where the immune system attacks hair follicles, leading to hair loss. Lydia believes her repeated bouts of Covid since 2020 may have contributed to her condition, with her doctor suggesting that long Covid could be a factor.
Initially, Lydia felt lonely and isolated due to her alopecia, and within five months, she lost 80% of her hair. After shaving off the remaining hair for charity, Lydia found newfound confidence and is now comfortable going out without a wig.
From Newport, Lydia shared, “In November last year, I noticed my hair was looking a bit thin. I used to have really long, thick hair. Whenever I brushed my hair in the shower, clumps would come out, which was concerning.”
She recounted an incident in January when her father noticed a patch on her head while she was cooking. “It was an intense experience; I knew my hair was falling out but hadn’t considered alopecia at that point. That night was stressful because I didn’t know what was wrong.”
When she first visited the doctor, they attributed her hair loss to stress, which Lydia found puzzling. “I’m the least stressed person ever,” she insisted.
Rejecting stress as the cause, Lydia believes her alopecia is linked to long Covid, first noticing her hair thinning after recovering from another bout in November. “Before that, I had Covid in the summer. I’ve had it eight times now, and I think my immune system has been weakened each time.”
While doctors mentioned that her condition might be related to her multiple infections, they also acknowledged that the exact cause of alopecia is often unknown. Lydia stated, “They said it could be a million other things, but I personally believe my repeated Covid infections played a role.”
Since shaving her head in May, Lydia has begun to see some hair growth, although she still lacks eyelashes and eyebrows. Despite her hair gradually returning, she remains aware that it could fall out again unexpectedly.
Lydia now wears a variety of synthetic and real-hair wigs daily but feels confident enough to leave the house without one.