Alopecia universalis (AU), also known as alopecia areata universalis, is a medical condition involving the loss of all body hair, including eyebrows, eyelashes, chest hair, armpit hair, and pubic hair.
In some cases, hair is eventually lost from the entire scalp, called alopecia totalis. There is a progression to complete loss of body hair, a type of the disease called alopecia universalis. This is not common.
Congenital atrichia is the absence of hair over the entire body at birth, an inherited condition that may be isolated or associated with other anomalies.
Testosterone promotes body hair growth in men. As a result, one common symptom of low testosterone is a loss of body hair. You may notice thinning of your armpit or pubic hair. Many men find the change is most noticeable in their beard because they don't have to shave as often.
Unless there are other symptoms, it is unlikely to be a cause for concern. However, hair loss that occurs with other symptoms can sometimes be a sign of an underlying health condition that requires treatment. Some conditions that can cause hair loss include heart disease, diabetes, and thyroid issues.
But people who have a condition called alopecia universalis lose all their hair, not just hair on the head. The word alopecia means hair loss. A person with alopecia universalis loses all their hair, including eyebrows and eyelashes, facial hair, body hair, and hair on the head.
Severe and prolonged hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism can cause loss of hair. The loss is diffuse and involves the entire scalp rather than discrete areas. The hair appears uniformly sparse.
In the “choose the most attractive picture” questions, the photo of a woman without body hair was rated significantly more attractive than the one with body hair, with 95.2% of the participants choosing the hairless women.
Hair loss (alopecia) can affect just your scalp or your entire body, and it can be temporary or permanent. It can be the result of heredity, hormonal changes, medical conditions or a normal part of aging.
Causes. Alopecia universalis can occur at any age, and is currently believed to be an autoimmune disorder, in which a person's immune system attacks the hair follicles. Genetic factors may contribute to AU, as about 20% of those affected have a family member with alopecia.
Pubic hair loss may be due to excessive hair removal or underlying conditions like alopecia, hormonal changes, and cancer treatments. Pubic hair loss is not harmful to a person's physical health, but it may cause psychological distress. Some people may also feel concerned about the underlying cause of pubic hair loss.
If baldness runs in your family, hair loss can occur on your legs as well as your head. Losing hair on your legs is also connected with a number of health issues, like poor circulation, diabetes, thyroid conditions, fungal infections, folliculitis, hormone changes, and pituitary gland disorders.
Autoimmune Disorder
With alopecia areata, hair may get thin or stop growing. That's because your immune system attacks hair follicles, making it hard for hair to grow. You may get bald patches on your head or other body parts. You might lose your eyebrows or eyelashes.
Despite its popularity in the media and amongst consumers, biotin has no proven efficacy in hair and nail growth of healthy individuals. Only 1 study has shown decreased levels of biotin in healthy individuals, though this data was confounded by multiple factors, including patient history.
However, there are other reasons why you may experience leg hair loss. Some common reasons include nutritional deficiencies, aging, hormonal fluctuations, or high levels of stress.
At-home test kits for checking your testosterone levels are available without a prescription. The kits provide everything you need to collect a blood or saliva (spit) sample to send to a lab for testing. Talk with your provider if you think you need to be tested.
According to anthropologist and professor Ashley Montagu in 1989, many East Asian people and African populations such as the San people are less hairy than Europeans and West Asian peoples. Montagu said that the hairless feature is a neotenous trait.
Seventeen per cent prefer a full bush, 18% prefer the area bare and most prefer a polite “clean-up” of the general genital vicinity. More than 71% of male respondents say they've never been turned off by a partner's pubic or butt hair.
Pubic hair grooming, described as partial or complete removal of pubic hair, is considered a prevalent practice in both men and women [1]. Notably, The prevalence of this practice is reportedly high in groomers with more than 80% of women actively engaging in it, as evidenced by multiple studies [1,2,3,4,5].
A common symptom of an underactive thyroid is weight gain, often around the abdomen. However, the American Thyroid Association states that the weight gain may not necessarily be due to the build up of fat, but the accumulation of salt and water.
However, certain fruits like soy-based products, strawberries, and pineapple can interfere with thyroid function if consumed excessively.
In Hashimoto's disease this hair loss most commonly presents in the form of diffuse hair loss across the scalp and eyebrows. Additionally, the reduced functionality of the T3 and T4 hormone reduces overall sebum production, which can give a thin, brittle appearance to your hair.