Alopecia areata is an autoimmune condition that causes the immune system to attack hair follicles. While hair loss on the scalp is the most common, people can also lose hair all over the body.
How does alopecia areata affect daily life? For many people, hair is an important part of their appearance and self-image, and any type of hair loss can lower self-esteem and confidence. In alopecia areata, the unpredictable cycle of hair loss and regrowth can make the symptoms even more difficult to cope with.
Alopecia areata is not life-threatening and does not cause physical pain. However, the psychosocial effects of hair loss can be devastating. In addition, patients may experience symptoms related to hair loss, such as increased eye or nasal irritation after loss of eyelash or nasal hair.
Alopecia areata is not medically disabling; persons with alopecia areata are usually in excellent health. But emotionally, this disease can be challenging, especially for those with extensive hair loss.
Because hair loss and regrowth from alopecia areata is unpredictable and sometimes cyclical (comes back again and again), having the condition can be frustrating and emotionally challenging for many people.
Causes of Alopecia Areata
In alopecia areata, the immune system mistakenly attacks hair follicles, causing inflammation. Researchers do not fully understand what causes the immune attack on hair follicles, but they believe that both genetic and environmental (non-genetic) factors play a role.
According to the study — published in the Journal of Dermatological Reviews — that ascertained the impact of alopecia or hair loss on the quality of life among adults in India, many of the questionnaire respondents “reported feeling ashamed, embarrassed, frustrated, humiliated, or annoyed due to alopecia”.
Alopecia areata (AA) is a chronic autoimmune inflammatory disease characterized by hair loss that can affect the scalp, face (e.g. eyebrows and eyelashes) and body [1].
Alopecia has few physically harmful effects, but may lead to psychological consequences, including high levels of anxiety and depression.
Alopecia areata can occur at any age but about half of cases come on in childhood and 80% of cases come on before the age of 40 years. Men and women are equally affected. The condition tends to be milder if it comes on at an older age.
Alopecia can have serious psychosocial consequences, causing intense emotional suffering, and personal, social and work-related problems. Surveys have shown that around 40 per cent of women with alopecia have had marital problems, and around 63 per cent claimed to have career-related problems (Hunt & McHale, 2004).
Androgenic alopecia (AGA) is associated with significant cardiovascular risk factors that also have a negative impact on brain aging.
The short answer is yes, stress can cause hair loss, or contribute to it. There are three types of hair loss that can be triggered (or made worse) by stress - telogen effluvium, alopecia areata and trichotillomania. Stress-related hair loss is often temporary, so it's unlikely your hair will be lost forever.
In June 2022 , a medication called baricitinib (Olumiant) received approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat severe cases of alopecia areata. It's the first FDA-approved systemic treatment for alopecia. This type of systemic treatment helps treat hair loss all over the body.
Hormonal changes, autoimmune diseases, thyroid disorders, and stress are among the known causes of hair loss in young men and women. However, diet can also strongly influence hair health. The growing popularity of vegetarian and vegan diets could be contributing to millennial hair loss.
Alopecia areata is more common among African Americans but less common among Asians, compared with whites, according to a new study involving registry data for more than 11,000 individuals.
Multiple studies have linked male pattern hair loss to lowered self-esteem and decreased confidence. A 2019 study in the International Journal of Trichology found that androgenic alopecia lowered the quality of life for many men, with particular effects in the areas of self-perception and interpersonal relations.
Although, so far there is no evidence to suggest those with alopecia areata are at a higher risk of contracting the virus, if you are on medication that affects your immune system, you may want to be particularly cautious because of the potential for greater risk of complications if infected.
On the AIP elimination diet, you will avoid grains, legumes, nightshades (such as potatoes and peppers), dairy, eggs, coffee, alcohol, sugar, oil and food additives. After a few months, you can work the excluded foods back in one at a time to figure out which foods trigger an inflammatory reaction.
Most people know alopecia to be a form of hair loss. However, what they don't always know is that there are three main types of the condition – alopecia areata, alopecia totalis and alopecia universalis.
A tiny fraction of the people diagnosed with alopecia areata lose all their hair everywhere (known as alopecia universalis), while the overwhelming majority have intermittent or patchy hair loss. Most often it doesn't require shaving of the head, but if it does, here are some things to consider.
Answer: Alopecia areata and fatigue and cold intolerance
Suppression of adrenal gland function can lead to both fatigue and cold intolerance for example.
Avoiding unnecessary hair or scalp trauma, reducing stress and analyzing your diet are all worthwhile endeavors when attempting to prevent alopecia areata from spreading.