Hair Loss in Foreign Medical Students and Alter its Intensity during the Covid-19 Pandemic in Georgia

Abstract

The current millennial and generation Z are known to experience more stress than any generation before them. A fraction of individuals belonging to these generations is current foreign medical students, where medicine is known to be one of the stressful courses one can study. When this extreme stress is meet with genetic predisposition, nutritional deficiencies, internal diseases, and inappropriate hair care practices hair loss can be quite aggressive. An online survey consisting of 15 questions was conducted to find if these factors contribute to foreign medical students experiencing hair loss at a very young age and if the current chaotic environment of the covid-19 pandemic has accelerated hair loss.  81.7 %( n=156) foreign medical students belonging to ages 17 to 25 years started to experience hair loss (p= 0.0127), where stress (54.5 %( n=85)), nutritional deficiencies and internal conditions (37.5 %( n=58)) have been responded to be contributing factors for their condition. Interestingly, 54.5 %( n=85) students are experiencing hair loss after moving to Georgia (p=0.04). Despite all the acknowledgment of cause for their conditions, 92.3 %( n=144) of foreign medical students have responded to not undergo any treatments to manage and control hair loss. Additionally, 33.3 %( n=52) of students stated that they have noticed more progression in hair loss during this pandemic. If these students continue to ignore undergoing treatments then they might experience more progression in hair loss.