September is Alopecia Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and support the millions affected by hair loss conditions like alopecia areata.
Key Takeaways:
- Alopecia areata is an autoimmune condition that causes patchy hair loss.
- Alopecia affects millions of people and can occur at any age.
- Early recognition and treatment may help manage symptoms and hair loss.
- Raising awareness helps reduce stigma and encourages support for those affected.
September is Alopecia Awareness Month, so let’s dive into this hair loss issue. If you or someone you know is experiencing circular patches of hair loss on the scalp, alopecia areata may be the cause. This condition differs from regular male or female pattern baldness, and it may be related to other health issues. Alopecia areata is surprisingly common, with an estimated 7 million people in the United States having, or have had, or will have it.
By shining the spotlight and offering support on alopecia, what it is, who it affects, and how it can be treated, we can reduce the social stigma and misunderstandings that often accompany this condition.
What Is Alopecia?
The word alopecia means bald; and there are many different forms of alopecia. One such form is alopecia areata. Areata means patchy. Alopecia areata is an autoimmune skin condition that results in hair loss. This hair loss most commonly occurs on the scalp, but also can be seen on the face and sometimes other body areas, like under the arms or on the legs. People with alopecia areata most often lose hair in circular coin-sized patches, but in more severe cases, they may lose all of their hair.
Causes
Alopecia areata is a polygenic disease, meaning that it is related to multiple genetic factors. But not everyone with the gene develops the disease. Researchers aren’t sure what triggers the disease. Do the triggers first happen inside the body (from bacteria or a virus), outside the body (environmental), or a combination of both?
Symptoms
Symptoms occur when the immune system attacks normal hair follicles by mistake. When follicles sustain injury from these autoimmune attacks, hair loss is the result.
In general, you may see:
- A sudden loss of hair in a specific area, such as a round, bare patch on the scalp or in the beard
- Smaller patches are becoming larger or joining together to create bigger areas of hair loss
- Cycles of loss and regrowth
- A progression of symptoms or flare-ups worsening over time
- Occasionally, nail changes, like ridges or pits
- In rare cases, total hair loss, including body hair, eyebrows, and eyelashes
Why Is Alopecia Awareness Month Important?
If you’re familiar with these symptoms, you can recognize early signs of alopecia — in yourself or others. And in doing so, you can seek appropriate care sooner.
Spreading alopecia awareness may also help with the following:
- Increasing the general population’s understanding of the condition
- Normalizing patterns of hair loss that are not male-pattern baldness, like alopecia areata
- Finding targeted hair loss solutions for those with alopecia
Types of Alopecia
Alopecia doesn’t affect everyone the same way, and sometimes, it can affect more than a person’s scalp hair. Educating others about these different subtypes of alopecia may help spread awareness and sensitivity about the condition:
Autoimmune Alopecia
We discussed alopecia areata, but there are also some other autoimmune hair types:
- Alopecia barbae: This condition is similar to alopecia areata, but it affects beard hair. It’s possible to have this type at the same time as alopecia areata involving scalp hair.
- Alopecia ophiasis: While this is a subtype of alopecia areata, it causes distinct hair loss in a band pattern on the sides or back of the scalp rather than in circular patches.
- Alopecia totalis: This condition indicates complete hair loss on the scalp.
- Alopecia universalis: This is the name for total body hair loss.
Not all alopecia is either androgenetic or autoimmune mediated. For example, if you had a baby within the past year or experienced a period of extreme stress, you might notice an extreme thinning and “shedding” of your hair called telogen effluvium. The missing hair typically grows back over time, but you may need help managing your hair restoration.
Similarly, if you’ve noticed a receding hairline around your forehead and you wear your hair in a ponytail or bun every day, there’s a chance you’re developing traction alopecia. This indicates that your hairstyle is too tight, and the constant pressure may be causing the hair to fall out. However, restoring your hair health may not be as simple as switching to a different style.
While many people with alopecia struggle to regrow their hair, others go through frustrating cycles of loss and regrowth. Discovering which type of alopecia you have can help prevent hair loss and support hair restoration.
Who Does Alopecia Affect?
Alopecia can affect anyone. It does not discriminate based on gender, race, or age.
However, certain types of alopecia are sometimes seen more prevalently in certain demographics. Overall, androgenetic alopecia areata may affect men slightly more than women, alopecia areata and telogen effluvium may affect women slightly more than men, and traction alopecia may affect women of African American heritage more than men and other races.
Can Alopecia Be Cured?
There isn’t a cure for alopecia. Timing of symptoms is different for each type and may be accelerated by genetics, hormones, stress levels, time of year, hairstyle practice and your overall health. Some people choose to ignore milder symptoms or find ways to mask them. For example, someone may simply shave their head and lean into their new look. For others, especially those emotionally attached to their hair, hair loss can be upsetting.
Fortunately, there are many hair loss treatments for alopecia, though not all of them are legitimate. Be careful not to spend money on dubious miracle cures, herbal therapies, or mysterious balms you find online. If you want to regain thicker hair, minimize bald spots, or simply prevent further hair loss caused by this condition, it’s worthwhile to talk to a hair regrowth consultant to create a targeted, research-backed treatment that’s tailored to your goals.
What Hair Loss Solutions Work for Alopecia?
Regardless of which type of alopecia you have, it’s possible to restore healthy-looking hair through a variety of processes. HairClub offers several solutions for those experiencing all stages of alopecia.
Hair Prevention and Regrowth Treatments
Alopecia areata requires medical evaluation and treatment by a dermatologist given its autoimmune etiology.
Androgenetic, Teleogen Effluvium and Tractions Alopecias presentation of thinning or hair loss can be concerning, but there are ways to stimulate new growth and prevent further hair loss. Low-level laser treatments1 that can be performed at home help improve hair quality and increase microcirculation, while topical, compound prescription pharmaceutical ingredients can maximize your scalp’s potential for hair regrowth.
HairClub Laser Caps7,8 are indicated to promote hair growth in males with Androgenetic alopecia who have Norwood-Hamilton Classifications of Ila – V, and in females with Androgenetic alopecia who have Ludwig (Savin) Classifications I – II or frontal patterns of hair loss and who both have Fitzpatrick Skin Types I – IV. These devices are also cleared by Health Canada.
The HairClub RX™ program involves a licensed telehealth provider9 who will review an individual’s specific case and, if appropriate, prescribe a compounded medication to meet the specific needs of that individual. While each pharmaceutical ingredient, individually, may be approved by the Food and Drug Administration, the combination may not. A compounded treatment is not FDA-approved, and FDA does not evaluate the safety or effectiveness of compounded drugs.
Hair Replacement
Moderate hair loss often responds well to replacement solutions. These nonsurgical options can include defining hairlines and adding the look of fullness with scalp micropigmentation (SMP) or a partial or complete hair replacement system like Xtrands+. The results are incredibly natural.
Hair Transplant1
If you’ve lost a small, moderate, or even extensive amount of hair, natural-looking hair transplant options are available. These treatments include the minimally invasive FUE and FUT procedures.
Alopecia Awareness
Spreading Alopecia Awareness is important as it helps destigmatize the condition and normalizes different patterns of hair loss. Hair loss, after all, is a universal condition that affects people of all genders, ages, socioeconomic statuses, and ethnic backgrounds.
Book a Free Consultation
If you feel that you’re engaged in a losing battle with hair regrowth, you’re not alone, and you have options. If you fit the profile described here or experience hair loss after being diagnosed with another autoimmune condition, it may be worth asking your doctor or dermatologist about alopecia.
In the meantime, there’s no reason to delay your hair restoration journey: Book a consultation to learn more about our time-tested hair loss solutions.
