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The effects of Covid-19 can be wide reaching, and Drake just revealed a new side effect that could accompany the virus: hair loss. On August 17, the 34-year-old rapper revealed that he had been infected with Covid-19 which affected his hair growth after a fan made a comment on his appearance on social media.
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This week, a fan account shared two images of the “Views” rapper, showing the before and after of the heart shaved into his head. The fan captioned the image, “That heart is stressed,” with three skull emojis, prompting Drake to weigh in in the comment section. Comparing the two images, it appeared that the rapper suffered from a receding hairline between pictures, to which he wrote, “I had Covid that shit grew in weird I had to start again,” with a crying laughing emoji. “It’s coming back don’t diss,” he added.
Drake did not clarify when he came down with Covid-19, but hair loss is a little known side effect of the virus, according to studies. The American Academy of Dermatology Association reported that telogen effluvium or hair shedding may be a symptom of Covid that’s more common than you might think, despite not being frequently spoken of.
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“Most people see noticeable hair shedding two to three months after having a fever or illness. Handfuls of hair can come out when you shower or brush your hair. This hair shedding can last for six to nine months before it stops. Most people then see their hair start to look normal again and stop shedding,” they report, noting that hair growth often returns to normal on its own without interference.
Actress Alyssa Milano also suffered from hair loss when she came down with a bout of Covid, posting a video of clumps of her hair falling out to increase awareness of this infrequently discussed side effect. While Drake’s shaved heart is still in the process of growing back in, it seems that the hair loss he experienced won’t be a long term issue, and he won’t have to worry about being poked fun at by fans for much longer.
