What is Alopecia?
Alopecia by itself can mean any type of hair loss. Alopecia Areata is an autoimmune disease in which the body of the individual with the disease mistakes it's hair follicles to be foreign bacteria and attacks them, causing the person's hair to fall out. This usually occurs in small dime shaped clumps, in which case the bald spots can be covered with the remaining hair on a person's head, but there are more severe cases. These are called Alopecia Areata Universalis and Alopecia Areata Totalis. Totalis is the type of Alopecia Areata where an individual loses all of the hair on their head, and Universalis is the rarest form, in which the individual loses all of their hair on their body, completely, including eyelashes and brows.
" Alopecia Areata: Diagnosis, Treatment, and Outcome. American Academy of Dermatology, 2014. Web. 20 Oct. 2014.
"Alopecia Areata." Fast Facts. National Institutes of Health, July 2009. Web. 27 Oct. 2014.
Who Can Get Alopecia?
Alopecia is a fairly rare disease, affecting only about two percent of the World's population, but in the United States about five million people have a form of Alopecia Areata. (National Institutes of Health, July 2009)The disease can become prevalent in anyone, although it is believed to be more common in people who have a family member with the disease, potentially linking it to their genetic makeup. Once somebody is diagnosed with Alopecia Areata, they have it for the rest of their lives because there is no current cure for the disease, although there are treatments that can help the hair to grow back. Some people respond to the treatments, while others do not. Researchers are not sure why this is and what aspects change severity, so they have been testing multiple different treatments.
How is Alopecia Areata Diagnosed?
If a person believes they have Alopecia they should make an appointment with a local dermatologist or seek other medical treatment. The sooner the doctor can start treatment, the more likely someone's hair will grow back. In order to diagnose Alopecia Areata a doctor or dermatologist can perform multiple tests. If the hair loss is obvious enough and consists of pattern dime sized bald patches, they will sometimes diagnose based on that appearance which is almost always Alopecia Areata. In some cases the doctor will pull a hair from one of the spots of hair loss and examine it under a microscope. They look for any unusual characteristics in the hair follicle, and where the hair was attached to the follicle. Another indicator of Alopecia Areata is pitted or "ridged" fingernails and toenails.
http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/hair-loss/tc/alopecia-areata-topic-overview
What Treatment Options Are There?
Cortisone Injections: Cortisone Injections are the most common form of treatment for Alopecia Areata, because they have a large success rate and can be once a month. These injections are done by a doctor using a tiny needle to inject multiple times into the patches of missing hair and around them. This treatment is usually only used for those with less severe cases of Alopecia Areata, and although most hair begins to grow back within four weeks of the treatment some people do not respond as well to them, and they do nothing to prevent hair loss in other places.
Topical Minoxidil:This treatment is considered to be one of the safest and less uncomfortable. The Minoxidil needs to be at least five percent in order to make a difference in the case of Alopecia Areata.(WebMD, Oct. 2014). This cream can be applied directly to affected areas on the head, but also other facial areas. After hair has regrown the treatment may be stopped.
Anthralin Cream or Ointment: This is a treatment that has been less successful, takes a bit more time, and can potentially be irritating to a patient's skin. It is a tar-like substance that is applied to affected areas and is left there for about 30 to 60 minutes and then washed off. After a while the skin gets used to the treatment and does not become as irritated, but it takes at least nine to twelve weeks for hair regrowth if the patient responds.
Cortisone Pills: These pills are not usually prescribed unless the individual has many spots, and even then doctors are hesitant due to the many side effects. These are used to reduce swelling around the hair follicles.
Topical Immunotherapy: The induction and periodic elicitation of an allergic contact creates an allergic reaction for the body in attempts to spike a response and growth, in the targeted spot. Respondance rates for this treatment are around 80 percent in the time span of 32 months. Not as many serious side effects, mainly just dry skin and rare development of vitiligo.
Photochemotherapy: An affected individual is given psoralen, a drug that is affected by light, and either swallows it or rubs it on an affected area. They then are exposed to ultraviolet light. This treatment can be damaging to skin cells and has a risk of making the individual more likely to develop skin cancer, especially when used multiple times.
Wigs: Although wigs will not make a person's hair grow back, they can be used to cover hair loss until it does. They may also help to prevent some of the very serious psychological effects of Alopecia. Wigs can be purchased through the Alopecia Areata Foundation website.
"Alopecia Areata Causes, Treatments, Symptoms." WebMD. Ed. Melinda Ratini. WebMD, 2012. Web. 20 Oct. 2014.
"Hair Loss (Alopecia Areata) Information for Adults." Hair Loss (Alopecia Areata) in Adults: Condition, Treatment and Pictures. Logical Images Inc., 22 Dec. 2013. Web. 24 Oct. 2014.
"Alopecia Areata Treatment & Management." Alopecia Areata Treatment & Management. WebMD LLD, 1994-2014. Web. 29 Oct. 2014.
What Are The Physical Effects?
Fortunately, Alopecia Areata is not a life threatening disease. There are actually no serious physical complications that are connected to Alopecia, besides the issues involving lack of protection for eyes, due to loss of eyelashes and brows. Although the physical effects of the disease seem to be minuscule, a person can have the same type of psychological issues that someone with a lethal disease can have.
Other Autoimmune Diseases?
Alopecia Areata has frequently been seen to be associated with other T-Cell mediated autoimmune diseases. Dr. Angela Christiano, a doctor that works on development for Alopecia Areata treatments and a cure. She recently found that those with other autoimmune diseases have the same genes as AA, including rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes and celiac disease. The benefit of this knowledge is that these autoimmune diseases already have very developed treatments and many trial testings done, so the information found can be used to further develop those for Alopecia, and used to study more in depth about the disease.
http://www.naaf.org/site/PageServer?pagename=research_Columbia
What Psychological Issues are Prevalent in People with Alopecia Areata?
As stated above, Alopecia Areata is not a life threatening disease, but there is still a long list of psychological side-effects that are prevalent in most patients. Many people with the disease will have a dramatic increase in stress level, which in turn will cause more hair loss, therefore worsening their Alopecia Areata, and will create more stress for the individual. This a vicious cycle that can create for a more severe case of the disease. Hair is central to the identity of each person, so those without it, or with the fear that they might lose it all have shown to have a loss of self and poorer body image than those without the disease. Most individuals with the disease feel they have to find something or someone to blame for their situation, but because the disease randomly occurs, there is nothing they can blame, so they are stuck hating themselves. A lot of people will isolate themselves and shut out their friends and family, because they feel that nobody can understand what they are going through. Those who wear a wig or have a less severe case that is not a known in their community often have fears that other people will find out, and they try their best to hide their disease. Depression and anxiety are common effects of Alopecia Areata, due to a constant feeling of grief and loss. Most people will resort to self-blame, feeling as though they did something that caused them to develop Alopecia Areata, and they are afraid that they are hurting their family members as well. Alopecia not only has negative psychological effects on the affected individual, but it also can strongly affect their families and friends. In most causes, parent of an affected child will blame themselves for the genetic makeup of the child. They will also feel as helpless as the individual themselves because there is nothing they can do either. A parent is forced to see their child in pain and is not able to do anything to make them feel any better. Siblings and close friends will also feel shame and anger because this disease has affected their lives, and they feel helpless. One of the main issues with Alopecia Areata is it is often experienced as a trauma, and if it lasts for a long period of time, it seems that the traumatic experience is never ending, leading to many causes of extreme depression and even suicide.
Aghaei, Shahin, Nasrin Saki, Ehsan Daneshmand, and Bahare Kardeh. "Prevalence of Psychological Disorders in Patients with Alopecia Areata in Comparison with Normal Subjects." Prevalence of Psychological Disorders in Patients with Alopecia Areata in Comparison with Normal Subjects. N.p., 09 Mar. 2014. Web. 10 Oct. 2014.
Hunt, Nigel, and Sue McHale. "The Psychological Impact of Alopecia." British Medical Journal. BMJ Publishing Group Ltd., 21 Sept. 2005. Web. 8 Oct. 2014.
Matzer, Franziska, Josef W. Egger, and Daisy Kopera. "Psychosocial Stress and Coping in Alopecia Areata." Medical Journals. Acta Dermato-Venereologica, 2011. Web. 10 Oct. 2014.
Wolf, Jan, and Vicki Kalabokes. "Alopecia Areata May Be Selected for Further FDA Study." National Alopecia Areata Foundation. National Alopecia Areata Foundation, 30 Oct. 2012. Web. 9 Oct. 2014.
What Does the Future Hold?
Recently, doctors and scientists have classified Alopecia Areata as a T-Cell mediated autoimmune disease. Alopecia areata is associated with specific human leukocyte antigens, which determine susceptibility, severity, chronicity, and resistance. Many different drugs and treatments are being created, including new immunomodulatory therapies, topic tacrolimus (protopic), along with many other topical anti inflammatory treatments. Although Alopecia Areata is a tricky disease that has stumped many scientists for a cure and even some treatments, there is a lot of research presently happening, and the future looks good.
Price, Vera H. "Therapy of Alopecia Areata: On the Cusp and in the Future." Nature.com. Nature Publishing Group, 13 Feb. 2003. Web. 30 Oct. 2014.
Alopecia by itself can mean any type of hair loss. Alopecia Areata is an autoimmune disease in which the body of the individual with the disease mistakes it's hair follicles to be foreign bacteria and attacks them, causing the person's hair to fall out. This usually occurs in small dime shaped clumps, in which case the bald spots can be covered with the remaining hair on a person's head, but there are more severe cases. These are called Alopecia Areata Universalis and Alopecia Areata Totalis. Totalis is the type of Alopecia Areata where an individual loses all of the hair on their head, and Universalis is the rarest form, in which the individual loses all of their hair on their body, completely, including eyelashes and brows.
" Alopecia Areata: Diagnosis, Treatment, and Outcome. American Academy of Dermatology, 2014. Web. 20 Oct. 2014.
"Alopecia Areata." Fast Facts. National Institutes of Health, July 2009. Web. 27 Oct. 2014.
Who Can Get Alopecia?
Alopecia is a fairly rare disease, affecting only about two percent of the World's population, but in the United States about five million people have a form of Alopecia Areata. (National Institutes of Health, July 2009)The disease can become prevalent in anyone, although it is believed to be more common in people who have a family member with the disease, potentially linking it to their genetic makeup. Once somebody is diagnosed with Alopecia Areata, they have it for the rest of their lives because there is no current cure for the disease, although there are treatments that can help the hair to grow back. Some people respond to the treatments, while others do not. Researchers are not sure why this is and what aspects change severity, so they have been testing multiple different treatments.
How is Alopecia Areata Diagnosed?
If a person believes they have Alopecia they should make an appointment with a local dermatologist or seek other medical treatment. The sooner the doctor can start treatment, the more likely someone's hair will grow back. In order to diagnose Alopecia Areata a doctor or dermatologist can perform multiple tests. If the hair loss is obvious enough and consists of pattern dime sized bald patches, they will sometimes diagnose based on that appearance which is almost always Alopecia Areata. In some cases the doctor will pull a hair from one of the spots of hair loss and examine it under a microscope. They look for any unusual characteristics in the hair follicle, and where the hair was attached to the follicle. Another indicator of Alopecia Areata is pitted or "ridged" fingernails and toenails.
http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/hair-loss/tc/alopecia-areata-topic-overview
What Treatment Options Are There?
Cortisone Injections: Cortisone Injections are the most common form of treatment for Alopecia Areata, because they have a large success rate and can be once a month. These injections are done by a doctor using a tiny needle to inject multiple times into the patches of missing hair and around them. This treatment is usually only used for those with less severe cases of Alopecia Areata, and although most hair begins to grow back within four weeks of the treatment some people do not respond as well to them, and they do nothing to prevent hair loss in other places.
Topical Minoxidil:This treatment is considered to be one of the safest and less uncomfortable. The Minoxidil needs to be at least five percent in order to make a difference in the case of Alopecia Areata.(WebMD, Oct. 2014). This cream can be applied directly to affected areas on the head, but also other facial areas. After hair has regrown the treatment may be stopped.
Anthralin Cream or Ointment: This is a treatment that has been less successful, takes a bit more time, and can potentially be irritating to a patient's skin. It is a tar-like substance that is applied to affected areas and is left there for about 30 to 60 minutes and then washed off. After a while the skin gets used to the treatment and does not become as irritated, but it takes at least nine to twelve weeks for hair regrowth if the patient responds.
Cortisone Pills: These pills are not usually prescribed unless the individual has many spots, and even then doctors are hesitant due to the many side effects. These are used to reduce swelling around the hair follicles.
Topical Immunotherapy: The induction and periodic elicitation of an allergic contact creates an allergic reaction for the body in attempts to spike a response and growth, in the targeted spot. Respondance rates for this treatment are around 80 percent in the time span of 32 months. Not as many serious side effects, mainly just dry skin and rare development of vitiligo.
Photochemotherapy: An affected individual is given psoralen, a drug that is affected by light, and either swallows it or rubs it on an affected area. They then are exposed to ultraviolet light. This treatment can be damaging to skin cells and has a risk of making the individual more likely to develop skin cancer, especially when used multiple times.
Wigs: Although wigs will not make a person's hair grow back, they can be used to cover hair loss until it does. They may also help to prevent some of the very serious psychological effects of Alopecia. Wigs can be purchased through the Alopecia Areata Foundation website.
"Alopecia Areata Causes, Treatments, Symptoms." WebMD. Ed. Melinda Ratini. WebMD, 2012. Web. 20 Oct. 2014.
"Hair Loss (Alopecia Areata) Information for Adults." Hair Loss (Alopecia Areata) in Adults: Condition, Treatment and Pictures. Logical Images Inc., 22 Dec. 2013. Web. 24 Oct. 2014.
"Alopecia Areata Treatment & Management." Alopecia Areata Treatment & Management. WebMD LLD, 1994-2014. Web. 29 Oct. 2014.
What Are The Physical Effects?
Fortunately, Alopecia Areata is not a life threatening disease. There are actually no serious physical complications that are connected to Alopecia, besides the issues involving lack of protection for eyes, due to loss of eyelashes and brows. Although the physical effects of the disease seem to be minuscule, a person can have the same type of psychological issues that someone with a lethal disease can have.
Other Autoimmune Diseases?
Alopecia Areata has frequently been seen to be associated with other T-Cell mediated autoimmune diseases. Dr. Angela Christiano, a doctor that works on development for Alopecia Areata treatments and a cure. She recently found that those with other autoimmune diseases have the same genes as AA, including rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes and celiac disease. The benefit of this knowledge is that these autoimmune diseases already have very developed treatments and many trial testings done, so the information found can be used to further develop those for Alopecia, and used to study more in depth about the disease.
http://www.naaf.org/site/PageServer?pagename=research_Columbia
What Psychological Issues are Prevalent in People with Alopecia Areata?
As stated above, Alopecia Areata is not a life threatening disease, but there is still a long list of psychological side-effects that are prevalent in most patients. Many people with the disease will have a dramatic increase in stress level, which in turn will cause more hair loss, therefore worsening their Alopecia Areata, and will create more stress for the individual. This a vicious cycle that can create for a more severe case of the disease. Hair is central to the identity of each person, so those without it, or with the fear that they might lose it all have shown to have a loss of self and poorer body image than those without the disease. Most individuals with the disease feel they have to find something or someone to blame for their situation, but because the disease randomly occurs, there is nothing they can blame, so they are stuck hating themselves. A lot of people will isolate themselves and shut out their friends and family, because they feel that nobody can understand what they are going through. Those who wear a wig or have a less severe case that is not a known in their community often have fears that other people will find out, and they try their best to hide their disease. Depression and anxiety are common effects of Alopecia Areata, due to a constant feeling of grief and loss. Most people will resort to self-blame, feeling as though they did something that caused them to develop Alopecia Areata, and they are afraid that they are hurting their family members as well. Alopecia not only has negative psychological effects on the affected individual, but it also can strongly affect their families and friends. In most causes, parent of an affected child will blame themselves for the genetic makeup of the child. They will also feel as helpless as the individual themselves because there is nothing they can do either. A parent is forced to see their child in pain and is not able to do anything to make them feel any better. Siblings and close friends will also feel shame and anger because this disease has affected their lives, and they feel helpless. One of the main issues with Alopecia Areata is it is often experienced as a trauma, and if it lasts for a long period of time, it seems that the traumatic experience is never ending, leading to many causes of extreme depression and even suicide.
Aghaei, Shahin, Nasrin Saki, Ehsan Daneshmand, and Bahare Kardeh. "Prevalence of Psychological Disorders in Patients with Alopecia Areata in Comparison with Normal Subjects." Prevalence of Psychological Disorders in Patients with Alopecia Areata in Comparison with Normal Subjects. N.p., 09 Mar. 2014. Web. 10 Oct. 2014.
Hunt, Nigel, and Sue McHale. "The Psychological Impact of Alopecia." British Medical Journal. BMJ Publishing Group Ltd., 21 Sept. 2005. Web. 8 Oct. 2014.
Matzer, Franziska, Josef W. Egger, and Daisy Kopera. "Psychosocial Stress and Coping in Alopecia Areata." Medical Journals. Acta Dermato-Venereologica, 2011. Web. 10 Oct. 2014.
Wolf, Jan, and Vicki Kalabokes. "Alopecia Areata May Be Selected for Further FDA Study." National Alopecia Areata Foundation. National Alopecia Areata Foundation, 30 Oct. 2012. Web. 9 Oct. 2014.
What Does the Future Hold?
Recently, doctors and scientists have classified Alopecia Areata as a T-Cell mediated autoimmune disease. Alopecia areata is associated with specific human leukocyte antigens, which determine susceptibility, severity, chronicity, and resistance. Many different drugs and treatments are being created, including new immunomodulatory therapies, topic tacrolimus (protopic), along with many other topical anti inflammatory treatments. Although Alopecia Areata is a tricky disease that has stumped many scientists for a cure and even some treatments, there is a lot of research presently happening, and the future looks good.
Price, Vera H. "Therapy of Alopecia Areata: On the Cusp and in the Future." Nature.com. Nature Publishing Group, 13 Feb. 2003. Web. 30 Oct. 2014.