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Posts Tagged ‘Alopecia’

How to Cope With Alopecia Areata

May 14th, 2009

You should remember when coping with a disease such as Alopecia areata that you should value yourself for who you are inside rather than the amount of hair that you have either on your head or on your body. Many people learn to cope with alopecia areata surprisingly well and often find it of great value to share their problems with those who are experiencing similar problems. Millions of people suffer from this disease at some point in their lives, so it is important to remember that you are not alone.

You may find it easier to cope with the disease if you minimise its physical effects. Those with total hair loss may wish to wear a wig or a hairpiece. They come in all shapes and styles, often so sophisticated that they look natural and stylish. Small patches of hair loss can be concealed using a hair coloured cream or powder applied to the scalp. This will make the hair loss look a lot less obvious by hiding the contrast between the hair and the scalp. An eyebrow pencil can be applied to a missing eyebrow to give a more natural look.

Bandanas and caps are preferred by children who have alopecia. There are many different styles that are available. Some children may look odd in a wig, and sometimes it is better to not bother with a hairpiece at all for some children. Children love bright colours; they also like to be special. Combining the two often distracts them from the worry of their hair loss.

Scarves, jewellery and clothing can be worn by women wanting to hide patchy hair loss as they distract attention from those hair patches. Well applied make-up can hide the loss of facial hair. Your doctor or support group may be able to recommend a cosmetologist, who specialises in working with people whose appearances have been affected by these types of medical conditions for advice and tips.

Although a cure for alopecia areata in not imminent, scientists understand the disease much better than they used to. There is hope that an increased understanding will help better treatments become available and perhaps eventually, even a cure for the condition.

Research for alopecia ranges from very basic studies of hair growth and hair loss mechanisms to testing medications in an attempt to assist hair re-growth.

Some examples or research includes the development in an animal model, which is a big step towards understanding the disease and the progress that has so far been made. By developing an animal, such as a mouse with the disease that is similar to the human form of alopecia, scientists hope to extend their knowledge about the mechanisms into the disease to assist them in developing treatments for humans.

Scientists are also studying the genetic causes and mechanisms of alopecia areata in those families who have one or more persons who are suffering the disease. If an understanding into the genetics or alopecia area is achieved, prevention and early intervention may follow.

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After Hair Loss – Is It Possible to Restore Hair?

March 26th, 2009

A man can be expected to lose his hair during his later years. This can be generally more expected if his father or other close relatives suffer from male pattern baldness. It is in general not expected for women to lose their hair regardless of her family history. This is due to the general belief that baldness and thinning of the hair is a male problem.

It is due to our social expectations that women feel that they should have a full head of hair. It is only when a women is old and aged that thinning of the hair is acceptable in many societies.

If women experience hair loss during their young to middle years, it is generally caused by female androgenetic alopecia. Hair loss of this kind comes as a shock to most women, therefore more and more of them are opting for restoration treatments and procedures. Many of these procedures are successful hair transplantations.

As mentioned above, the most common type of hair loss experienced by women is female androgenetic alopecia which is also known as female pattern baldness. Overall it targets about 20% of western women, with statistics showing that the older the women is, the more likely they are to experience this type of hair loss. Statistics have also revealed that there is an increase in incidence of this hair loss during and after the menopause.

The main underlying cause for female androgen alopecia is thought to be connected to the production of male hormones (androgenetic) and their effects on the woman’s hair follicles. This is also thought to be the same cause for male pattern baldness (androgenetic alopecia). However there is a distinct difference between the pattern of hair loss in female androgenetic alopecia and male androgenetic alopecia.

Generally there are three patterns of hair loss in female pattern baldness:

Grade 1 – An outward show of thinning hair on the central scalp, which is the top of the head.

Grade 2 – A thinning of hair and greater patches of hair loss on the scalp

Grade 3 – Male pattern alopecia with the loss of hair at the front to mid scalp. It is exceptionally rare to see complete male pattern baldness in women.

There are other causes of hair loss such as scalp scarring, traction alopecia due to injury caused by tight braiding or corn-rowing, compulsive hair plucking (trichotillomania) or an underlying disease.

Those women who are experiencing hair loss should consider a consultation with a hair restoration doctor as they are the experts in this type of hair loss problem.

The medical examination then focuses on the reason for the hair loss, with the most common reason for hair loss in a healthy woman being female pattern baldness in the grades described above.

Should a woman’s physical examination and medical history not indicate an underlying medical condition and it is clear the hair-loss is due to the problem of female androgenetic alopecia, further tests are usually not necessary.

If it is obvious that the hair loss pattern is not female androgenic alopecia, there may be another underlying medical condition for the hair loss. A scalp biopsy is often helpful in determining the cause in this instance.