Alopecia - Raising Awareness

by Honor Mitchell-Brock

Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease. This means that the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks the body’s own cells and in this case the immune system attacks your hair follicles, especially follicles within the scalp. This skin disorder tends to cause bald patches on the scalp that affect a limited area. 

The risk of developing alopecia is higher among people who have asthma, hay fever, thyroid disease, vitiligo and Down Syndrome. You can get alopecia areata at any age, with most cases developing before the age of 30. For many, the disease begins during childhood or the teenage years. It is usually followed by regrowth but it’s common for the problem to come back, most people have several recurrences during a lifetime. In rarer and more severe cases hair loss can involve the entire scalp or the entire body hair.

If one's hair doesn’t grow back then they can look to medical treatments such as topical steroids, these include ointments and creams, or steroids that are injected or taken in a pill form. These common treatments can all prove beneficial but also come with disadvantages. Although alopecia areata cannot be cured scientists are still studying more possibilities to improve regrowth. 

There are obvious physical effects of alopecia, such as hair loss, but it can also affect someone mentally. To many people their hair is a part of their identity and it can take a while for someone to adapt to their hair falling out unexpectedly. 

When I was six years old I developed multiple bald patches on my scalp with my hair thinning in general. Experiencing hair loss at such a young age was difficult but you learn to adjust to things pretty quickly. Although it was confusing and at times distressing I luckily had a very good support team consisting of friends and family. Losing my hair knocked my confidence and you can’t help but feel ‘different’ from the changes that take place to your appearance. However after a while of adjusting and accepting it I grew strength from this disorder and found new happiness from within. Luckily for me my hair did grow back within the next year. Even though my hair may fall out again, I am not afraid as I know that I won’t be alone!

From this article I hope to raise awareness of alopecia areata, there are so many amazing charities out there for this disorder that offer great support and guidance for people experiencing alopecia. Please consider donating to Alopecia UK or the Little Princess Trust.

https://www.alopecia.org.uk

https://www.littleprincesses.org.uk