Induction of alopecia areata after COVID-19 vaccination: a case report in the United States

Abstract

Alopecia areata (AA) is an autoimmune disorder that results in patchy hair loss. There have been increasing reports, though limited, in the medical literature of relapse of AA in affected patients and sudden onset of AA in previously unaffected patients after COVID-19 infection or vaccination. We describe a unique case of a middle-aged woman in the United States with sudden onset of severe AA immediately after receiving the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. We explain our case’s trichoscopic findings, review the literature surrounding AA and COVID-19, and discuss the pathogenesis of how COVID-19 vaccination and infection may induce AA in patients without previous history of alopecia.