Alopecia Areata Awareness Month
Arizona Coffea Editorial Team
Alopecia is a condition characterized by hair loss. It is an autoimmune disorder that causes hair follicle destruction. Alopecia can affect your scalp, brows, or any other hair on your body. Hair loss can occur in little or large regions.
It is anticipated that 6.8 million people in the United States will be affected. Alopecia can affect anyone, but it most commonly begins in childhood.
Alopecia Awareness Month is celebrated in September. It began in 1986 as a week to acknowledge alopecia and has since developed into a nationwide campaign.
Get the facts about alopecia
Alopecia: what causes it?
Trauma to the scalp, such as when the hair is repeatedly pulled or rubbed, can lead to traction alopecia by inflaming the hair follicles. This may result in a diminished hairline or complete baldness.
Localized hair loss is characterized by alopecia areata. It can range from a small patch of baldness on the scalp (about the size of a coin) to a widespread loss of hair. It's not limited to a specific body part.
Jada Pinkett Smith - Photo Credit Instagram
Alternatively, it could cause alopecia totalis, a condition characterized by the loss of all scalp hair. There may also be a thinning of the eyelashes and a receding of the eyebrows.
Alopecia universalis causes total body baldness in some people.
Alopecia areata is a form of hair loss that is "immune-mediated." Your body's defense mechanisms are assaulting your hair follicles. T cells, a crucial type of white blood cell, are involved.
It's also possible for alopecia to be linked to other autoimmune diseases. For those wondering, this is the type of alopecia that Jada Pinkett Smith has claimed to have.
Hair loss is a common symptom of lupus, an autoimmune disorder. One form is called systemic lupus erythematosus. Discoidal lupus erythematosus, which primarily affects the skin, is associated with hair loss and scarring of the scalp.
Hair thinning may also be associated with thyroid problems. In fact, a thyroid study is often the first test I order for patients who come to me complaining of hair loss.
Who is impacted by this?
Alopecia can affect anyone. Alopecia areata affects both sexes and can appear at any age, from childhood to adulthood. However, African Americans are more likely to be affected by this than white or Asian Americans. Approximately one million people in the United States suffer from alopecia areata.
Ballerinas, who frequently wear their hair in buns, are at risk for traction alopecia because of their occupation. Hair loss can also be caused by the pressure and friction of sports headgear like helmets and baseball caps. Traction alopecia is more common in areas of northern Europe where it is customary to wear hair pulled back tightly on a regular basis. One-third of Black women experience traction alopecia, making it the most common form of alopecia among this population.
In what ways can alopecia be managed?
The reason for this is crucial. Alopecia areata can be treated with corticosteroids, either orally or topically. If you're low on iron or protein, for example, you can easily fix the problem by increasing your intake of those nutrients through diet or supplementation. Hair loss can be permanent if the underlying inflammation of the scalp is not treated in a timely manner, especially when it is caused by traction or discoid lupus.
However, when it comes to traction, it is more important to do away with the practices that lead to the issue. At present, less and less people use harmful chemical or heat applications to straighten their hair because of the widespread spread of information about the risks associated with them.
The CROWN Act, introduced last year and passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on March 18, 2022, is one piece of legislation that has the potential to aid the situation. As a result, there is hope that the incidence of traction alopecia will decrease significantly in the future as it would become illegal to discriminate against people wearing natural styles like afros and braids.