Women Hair Loss Conditions, Alopecia Areata and Trichotillomania

Alopecia areata, patchy loss of hair affecting around a million in Uk.

back to topAlopecia areata:

AA is a hair loss disease on the scalp and /o body an it is thought to be coming from the autoimmune system which AA. affects all genders and age and the onset is usually sudden and recurrent, the impact in the image is HUGE for the alopecia patient, for cosmetic, statutorily and psychologic reason. In UK Alopecia affects around 2% of people and it seems that many of them have had a family history in the past.

Causes: it seems that lymphocytes surround the follicles minimizing or stopping the hair growth, causing inflammation and eventually hair loss, usually in scaly patches. Alopecia usually start with one or few round bald patches on the scalp or body and can progress to a total hair loss. it may be recurrent or go into remission, it is very unpredictable Alopeica Areata although non -life threatening it disrupted the normal life of people specially when it happens to woman and children’s at school age, a person can grow out of it o progress to alopecia totalis o universalis.

Diagnosis: Diagnostic have to be done by a Gp o dermatologist professional,, AA is recognize by small bald patches in the scalp, the area may be slightly painful and usually it happen more on one side of the scalp than the other, some hairs are thinner at the base and producing a characteristic exclamation point look.

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Trichotillomania: You are NOT alone.

It is still for many sufferers a huge shame and a hidden condition much more common and spread than we think it is. Around 1-2 % of people suffers from it at some stage of their lives and for most of them becomes chronic. To get to know about the condition it is a big relief for the sufferer as they feel shame thinking that they are isolated and alone in the world with this uncontrollable impulsive condition.

The impact of TTM on peoples lives and socially is huge. It includes feelings of shame, isolation, low self stem and confidence, depression, difficulty in relationships, not being able to participate in certain sports, the used of head covers such as head bands or going to the hairdressers.

You are not alone!!! There are around 20.000 sufferers within UK and (side)

FACTS AND NUMBERS:

By the age of puberty being a woman is up to 10 times more likely to suffer TTM than boys at same age and in adulthood for every male that report the condition there is around 12 women’s reporting it. It has been recorded cases at the age of 2 but after the age of 60 it is almost unknown.

Most people tend to hide the conditions for the shame that it produces and for years many stop themselves for socializing widely… The attacks vary it can last for a few seconds or minutes, pulling a few hairs only, or have a severe episode lasting all day or night. It is a vicious circle, the more you pull the more anxiety and uncommon ones feels with it. More often that not people who hair pull also experience symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder(OCD), Body Dimorphic disorder (BDD) , skin picking or nail bitting.

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back to topGenetic thinning:

The most common genetic thinning in woman is FEMALE PATTERN HAIR LOSS (FPHL), usually happens at the top and front of the head and ocurr into a general diffuse hair thinning at the hairline, the temples and crown although a lip of the frontal hair line is often maintained.In time more and more scalp will be visible. It is usually hereditary and difficult to treat once it have onset .

Causes: The cause is due to the unbalance between the testosterone hormone and one enzyme call reductase, it usually happens in women that goes through menopause but it can start as early as in puberty. The bulb will shed the hairs as usual but the next hairs will be weaker and shorter at the root, in time the bulb produce vellus hair.

By consulting with your doctor to establish a proper diagnose you my preventing it from happening at a rapid rate

The most commons medical treatment for FPHL:

Minoxidil: You will have to massage in your scalp, usually your doctor will prescribe higher doses than the ones you can buy over the counter if he feels is necessary.

Aldosterone & Spironolactone: Prescribed medication that have help balance the testosterone.The fda have not yet approved their dermatological success.

Finasteride: it may shows some improvement in some post menopause woman; not yet full asses

* Note: all this treatments need constancy because once this treatments stops, usually the FPHL will start again.

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back to topDrugs & Surgery

Chemotherapy & Radiotherapy Not all the drugs will make your hair fall out completely but you may experience a different degrees of thinning , you may also experience in eyelashes, eyebrows and other body hair parts.

Chemotherapy: If your hair falls out due to chemotherapy treatment, once the treatment finalized usually it will grow back, it may take some time but by the 5 o 6th month after finishing treatment you should have a full head of hair, perhaps thinner, thicker, curlier or different colour or perhaps it may not be any change..

We know how devastating hair loss can be, and how after you finish your treatment you want to resume to normality ASAP but your hairs usually grow at a slowly pace than you wish, also some affected need to follow a few years of medication which one of the side effects could be thinning hair; here is where we can help, if you can not wait o if your doctor tell you and you experience that your hair will be thin due to medication for much longer than you wish.

Radiotherapy treatment: on the head always will cause hair loss in the area where the beams target, but also it is possible that in the opposite part of the head too(exit side). It may take 5-6 months for your hair to grow back or it may come back a bit patchy, unluckily for a few the hair may not grow back at all.

The impact of hair loss for some woman is bigger than even going thorough the treatment , it is normal to feel with low self esteem as it is difficult to adjust with too much in too short time, at TAS we will compromise do as much as we can to help you to recuperate the image you want it.

We will determined which of our systems will be more suitable for you, we can work with any length of hair that you may have but we recommend to wait until you finish your treatment in full, you can book a consultation if you feel like it if you want to know your options and focus on the positive.

Surgery on the head, may cause the area where the wound is,bald, but also some major surgery on the body and illnesses may cause a large amount of hair to fall , this kind of hair loss is due to stress usually and it is temporary in most cases.

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back to topLupus: We usually shred around 50-100 hairs a day, sometimes in the year even more, one of the first symptons that a person with Lupus will notice is hair loss, Lupus is a condition that affect more women than men and around 45% will experience some form of hair loss, specially at the beginning of the disease, the fact that the affected need to start medication do not help as some of these drugs can increase hair loss, Good news it that usully once you stop the treatment or when treatment it is adjusted your normal growth should came back unless it have ocurred in a lupus scarring alopecia.

back to topOther forms of hair loss.

Illnesses: During convalescence o after/during main illnesses you may experience a raise in hair loss, usually after 4-6 months since you have the” all clear” more and more healthy hair should start growing back.

Thyroid Disease: If you suffer from Hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid) o hypothyroidism (myxoedema) you may experience thinning hair, large amounts of them falling out when washing it , changes in the hairs texture sometimes dry, coarse, tangling, once you are diagnose and properly treated the side effect (like hair loss) usually stops.

Psoriasis: Hair loss is common when the psoriasis set up on the scalp resulting in scaly patches, but re growth typically occurs after the condition is under control

Nutritional: Many illness & conditions like bulimia, anorexia, sickness, serious dieting, or even some kinds of gastric surgery may cause general thinning due to the deficiency or bad absorption of some nutrients, vitamins and minerals such as zinc, pantothenic acid (B5), essential fatty acids, copper, biotin… etc They are integral part of maintaining a healthy hair and the lack of them may cause hair loss. Your doctor or a nutritionist can help you to decide what the proper amount for your needs.

Traction Alopecia: Some hair styles induce to hair loss caused by excessive amounts of tension on the hair shafts, this causes the hair to be pulled and in time damage the follicle, traction alopecia will cause the production of hair to slow down and finally cease, it is very common in many Afro Caribbean hair extensions and in more cases affects badly the hairline showing a generous receded hair line. Some hair styles that used too much brushing, heat o chemicals such as perm, bleach, colouring may break the shafts.

Pregnancy: Can interrupt the natural cycle of hair growth and once a woman delivers there is a dramatic drop in estrogens and other hormone levels, many woman report significant hair loss during this period of time, sometimes up to a year, but if it doesn’t resume the doctor may devise a treatment that will get the hormonal levels back to normal.

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