Viola Davis, Keira Knightly, Jesy Nelson, Matt Lucas, Gail Porter, Jada Pinkett Smith. In recent months, alopecia has taken centre stage as a topic of discussion but despite its common presence in society, there are still a lack of understanding of the condition.

The word ‘alopecia’ simply means hair loss whether that be loss of hair from the scalp or any part of the body. Alopecia affects people of all ages and genders, however, it is more common in people in early childhood or adolescence. In fact, approximately 2% of people are affected by Alopecia Areata at some point in their lifetime.

If you are experiencing any more hair loss than what is normal for you, you are likely to be experiencing some type of alopecia therefore the next step is identifying which type of alopecia you have.

According to Alopecia UK, there are nine different types of alopecia:

  • Alopecia Areata
  • Androgenetic Alopecia
  • Central Centrifugal Cicatricial Alopecia
  • Chemotherapy Induced Alopecia
  • Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia
  • Lichen Planopilaris
  • Telogen Effluvium
  • Traction Alopecia
  • Trichotillomania

Primary Scarring Alopecias (also known as cicatricial alopecias or scarring hair loss) are a group of conditions that destroy the hair follicle, replace it with scar tissue, and cause permanent hair loss.

One of the most common forms is Alopecia Areata which typically begins with sudden loss of small round or oval patches of hair on the scalp. However, any part of the body may be affected, such as the beard area in men, or the eyebrows, eyelashes and in some circumstances cause changes to nails.

Once a bare patch develops, approximately half of all people with milder cases of Alopecia Areata recover within a year with the hair likely looking white or grey at first but may regain its natural colour over time. For more severe cases of alopecia, it is natural that more bare patches develop or join to form larger ones across an area of the body.

Alopecia Areata is most common in women under the age of 30, whilst Androgenetic Alopecia (Pattern Hair Loss) usually affects approximately 50% of men over the age of 50 and around 50% of women over the age of 65.

Causes of Alopecia

While anyone can develop Alopecia Areata, according to the American Academy of Dermatology Association, some people have a greater risk of developing it including those with a close blood relatives with alopecia, sufferers from asthma and hay fever and people with autoimmune disorders. Furthermore, according to Dr. Aakash Gupta, additional potential causes include:

  • Hormonal changes-imbalances caused by pregnancy or menopause
  • Medications such as cancer drugs
  • Radiation therapy to the head
  • Stressful experiences, such as sudden weight loss, surgery, high fever, loss of loved ones
  • Beauty treatments that could cause inflammation of the hair follicle

One of the more serious forms of alopecia, Trichotillomania is a psychological condition, where an individual cannot stop pulling out hair, which leads to hair loss. This type of alopecia commonly develops just before or during the early teens and most often between the ages of 10 and 13 years before developing into a chronic problem. Although the cause of Trichotillomania is unclear, there are several known risk factors such as Trichotillomania affecting those who are suffering from depression, anxiety or obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Treatment for Alopecia

Most importantly, anyone experiencing symptoms of alopecia are advised that they should first and foremost consult a doctor to help decide which option is best for them as not all treatments work for every person and sometimes, hair loss might occur again, even when treatment was previously successful. Furthermore, given the psychological effects that alopecia may cause, experts remind us that it is important to look after our mental health whilst managing the condition.

Treatments for alopecia come in various forms including medications, surgery, laser therapy, wigs, and hairpieces. For example, topical steroids such as creams, ointment, lotions, or foams that are applied directly to the scalp or skin surface aim to dampen down the inflammation within the skin and are commonly used in children and adults, as they are easy and painless to apply.