A woman who saw her hair fall out as a result of long Covid has regrown it with an £8 product in months, despite her doctor saying it would take at least a year.
Smita Jalaf, 33, from Birmingham, was left devastated after her hair started to fall out in the shower just weeks after she tested positive for Covid-19 in January 2021.
Likening the experience to a “horror film”, she says the locks would come out in “clumps” into her hand whenever she brushed or washed her head, leaving her scalp visible.
Unsure of the cause, she arranged a Zoom call with her GP who she says initially dismissed it as a deficiency.
She phoned again and went in for blood tests, which came back normal, and her doctor diagnosing the hair loss as a side-effect of coronavirus, due to her weakened immune system.
“I felt mortified, saddened and ugly. I had lost one of my best features”, Smita told Jam Press.
“I had a bad experience with Covid anyway but the hair loss made it 10 times worse.
“Now I was ugly, vulnerable and not special anymore.”
In a desperate bid to rid herself of the dormant follicles, the digital marketer chopped her long locks into a shoulder-length bob.
At the same time, she also had to cope with other symptoms of Covid-19 such as fatigue and loss of appetite.
Smita said: “I was really, really weak. I couldn’t eat anything. It was awful.
“Growing up Indian I always had long thick hair.
“My doctor told me my immune system got so weak that my hair then started to fall out.
“So I was in the shower washing my hair and I’m not talking bits and bobs, I’m talking about chunks falling out.
“It looked like a horror film.
“I wasn’t really eating properly so my immune system got to the point where there wasn’t much energy in my body.
“Your hair thrives on things like protein and vitamins and I didn’t really have any of that so it continued to get worse.”
As the weeks wore on, the young woman’s self-esteem plummeted, a situation that was made worse when others began to point out the hair loss.
She added: “Indian women always have beautiful hair.
“I felt like it was taking away my nice features and beauty away.
“I lost a big part of myself.
“My friends and family did play a role in making me feel self-conscious.
“The first thing people would say would be ‘Your hair! What happened to you?’ and ‘Oh my god your hair is gone’.
“I had to put a brave face on. Inside I didn’t feel great.”
Devastated to lose one of her defining features, Smita turned to the internet to find an alternative solution to her problem, watching YouTube and TikTok videos to research products others had tried.
She decided to invest in an expensive range, including a Grow Gorgeous bundle (£93.50), a Wild Lemon Hair Growth Oil (£41.99) along with the Revolution Haircare Salicylic Acid Clarifying Scalp Serum, which costs just £8.
By May 2021, Smita noticed her hair starting to thicken and regrow.
She said: “I’ve really had to change my whole routine.
“I’m staying away from heat so I’m not straightening or curling my hair every two days.
“Using better products with less chemicals in them has helped.
“Before I would pick up something from the supermarket.
“Things are much better now, my hair is healthier, thicker and not falling out.
“This is due to me changing my whole attitude. I have adopted a holistic routine for my hair.
“My hair is a lot shorter because I have a lot of short tufts of new hair growth.
“I am used to the short hair now and happy.”
Having regained her confidence, Smita now shares videos with tips and haircare advice on TikTok, with followers inspired by her story.
Videos detailing her experience have racked up over 50,000 views.
“Honestly your video inspired me to get my covid jab ! Glad yours grew back,” wrote one person.
Someone else added: “Wow! I’m feeling hopeful now. I had Covid in May. Recently my hair has been shedding every time I wash and comb it. Hope it’s in stock soon.”
A third person wrote: “I didn’t realise my hair loss could be due to covid!”
“That actually happened to me too,” added someone else.
A fifth social media user said: “You’re amazing.”
Smita added: “Covid is not a normal disease. It can have serious implications like it did with me.
“To others going through the same thing – there is a way back from hair loss.”
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