This is a paper I wrote for my English 302 course at my university. I was able to choose whatever topic I wished and I decided that I wanted to educate people about something that brings all of us together. I worked really hard on it and would like to know the opinions of people who live day to day with Alopecia just like me....Please let me know what you think about it :)

~Erica



Hair is not something that many think of in any special or significant way in when it comes to a person’s day-to-day life. However, for a small percentage of the world’s population it is something that many worry about due to an autoimmune disease. To the naked eye what one may think of as the effects of chemotherapy is nothing more than a disease called Alopecia Areata. Being particularly close to this disease is what has been the basis of inspiration to create a work that is not only understandable to everyone but also gives insight on what life is like for people that have Alopecia in whatever form it may be. Afflicted with the disease since the age of three, having minimal hair growth happen until the age of 6 when all hair ceased to grow is a personal experience in what the disease does to a person. To understand this disease it is essential to know the face of Alopecia Areata, the side affects of the disease, its many treatments, helpful coping methods, and mechanisms are all important factors that must be looked at.

There are three different types of Alopecia Areata: Alopecia Areata, Alopecia Areata Totalis, and Alopecia Areata Universalis. Alopecia Areata, as a general disease, is when a person’s hair follicles that are mistakenly attacked by one’s own immune system (white blood cells), resulting in the arrest of the hair growth stage (National Alopecia Areata Foundation). Alopecia Areata is the most common form of this disease. It causes a person to lose patches of hair any where on the body. Such areas that can be affected are beards, eyebrows and lashes, and most uncommonly known nose hairs as well. Alopecia Areata Totalis, a second less common form of the disease, and is described as total hair loss on the scalp and is less common in people afflicted with the disease. The most uncommon form of alopecia is Alopecia Areata Universalis, causing complete and total hair loss over the entire scalp and body.

It is difficult to say what the exact medical cause of such a disease is. No one gene has been named as the cause of the disease and it is not possible to say that the disease is completely hereditary either (New Series Science). Alopecia can happen to a person at any age; it has possible physical side effects along with the already known hair loss. A person’s skin and nails can also be a symptom of the disease. Stippling of the nails, and in very rare cases, severe deformation of nails can occur in a person; however, it is not very common (NAAF). Alopecia is considered a skin disease because it is possible to occur all over a person’s body; however it is not like other skin diseases. Hair is a natural protectant to one’s skin, so those without any hair must be aware of keeping the skin hydrated and protected from the sun’s harmful rays in an everyday life.

There can be serious psychological side effects to a newly diagnosed patient of Alopecia in whatever form it may be. Many that are diagnosed with this disease have had hair for many years. The diagnosis and final realization of losing one’s hair can possible become a traumatic experience to a person thus causing a flood of emotions that a person may not be completely ready for. A high level of anxiety and depression has been seen in newly diagnosed patients with Alopecia. Other feelings that may arise can be of loss, grief, anger, embarrassment, and guilt over causing loved ones extreme amounts of distress (Itano). Alopecia does not only affect the person diagnosed with the disease, but has influences on the people closest in one’s everyday life. Many parents feel blame for passing the disease on to a child, guilt and feelings of insignificance because there is nothing that can be done to stop or cure the disease in a loved one are also common. Siblings can also be inclined to feel shame or anger toward the other for causing such a traumatic experience and upset within what was previously normal family situation (Itano).

Treatment of Alopecia has been changing over the years. Just as the cause does not have a definitive answer there is also not one known treatment proven to cause regrowth of hair in patients afflicted with Alopecia. Personally, a vitamin regimen was used as a course of treatment with sporadic success. The side affects of the regimen were decided to be more of a hindrance and a mutual decision between mother and daughter at the age of 7 years old was made to stop the prescribed treatment. Other treatments that are attempted can be Cyclosporine, benzyl benzoate emulsion, vigorous massage, sedatives, thyroid extraction, and ultraviolet light treatments are all possibilities (The American Journal of Nursing). Although, none of these treatments have been able to correct the disease in a definitive manner they have been able to help some patients in producing hair in areas on the body where hair growth has not been able to occur. Topical and injected steroids have also proven helpful as well as a treatment called PUVA that is also used to treat psoriasis.

Cyclosporine is an immunosuppressant drug that is used mainly to reduce the risk in organ transplant patients of organ rejection. However, in clinical trials it was given in low dosages to 12 patients with various diagnoses of Alopecia (Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology). Within four weeks patients were able to see hair regrowth on the face, chest (in men), and other extremities; primarily having the best-affected site on patients being the scalp. The downside to this treatment is that only three short months after the treatment was stopped, and hair loss reoccurred in all participants of the study. Oral Psoralen Photochemotherapy also known as PUVA is another treatment combining medication with special light treatment (Pharmacology and Treatment). Patients undergoing this type of treatment orally take a medication called Psoralen and then are exposed to ultraviolet lights (UVA) an hour after ingesting the medication. The combination of these two things done two to four times a week, had patients seeing regrowth with a potential up to 90%. Although, these treatments have both been proven successful in certain clinical trials and other patients it is not a definitive cure for the disease. Homeopathic treatments have work for some with Alopecia, and so has steroid treatments for other patients, but there is still not one exact treatment for Alopecia.

Learning to cope with such a disease is something that many find difficult to do on a day-to-day basis. There are numerous ways of coping with the feelings that in-sue after such a traumatic diagnosis. The National Alopecia Areata Foundation was founded in 1981, in San Rafael, California, and is one of the largest and most influential organizations for those dealing with any form of the disease. Yearly conferences are held by the NAAF in a different cities around the United States is an arena in which support is given, friendships are made, and medical information is shared. The benefits of this four-day conference being held in Huston, Texas this summer have helped many in coping with the idea and realization of what this disease is and how to live with it in a positive and productive manner. Alopecia World, a website much like Facebook, is another forum of support, friendship and information where many go to feel apart of a world that no one made a conscious decision to be apart of. It is a place where one can talk to others going through the same experiences, make friends all over the world, express emotions of any manner, and have the possibility of finding others within the same area. Support groups are also another way to gaining what a person needs in order to help cope with what one may be experiencing and are able to be found using the NAAF and Alopecia World websites along with asking doctors and the internet.

Physically coping with Alopecia is a task in its own right that is left up to each person with the disease. Various options are available and depend on a person’s level of comfort with the situation. Hats and scarves are popular among those with the disease, and have been able to become a fashion statement in the world of t. A wig seems to be the most popular and practical manner in hiding the hair loss that has occurred. Wigs come in many different forms from fake hair to natural human hair; advances in all areas are being made. Highlights, hairstyles, and hair colors are all decisions that can be made depending on the type of wig one decides to obtain. There are also false eyelashes and eyebrows that can be used to disguise the absence of not having any. However, some decide that nothing at all, going “all natural”, is acceptable and the avenue to take in order to deal with the disease. These physical coping methods all depend on a person’s situation and what they desire most.

There are thousands of companies that donate wigs to children such as Locks of Love and a branch off from Hair Club for Men, appropriately named Hair Club for Kids. Locks of Love has a mission of helping financially disadvantaged children receive wigs for free made of human hair. Donations are made to Locks of Love from all over the country in order to help construct the wig systems. Hair Club for Kids while different from Locks of Love, essentially provides the same care however the process in obtaining a system is different. Personally obtaining wigs from Hair Club for Kids from the age of 15 to 18 and then transferring to Hair Club for Women has made a very foreign experience a now comfortable and enjoyable one.

The process is also an interesting experience, using saran wrap to cover the scalp an outline it made of where the system will be placed on one’s head. Then with lightening speed, due to all the practice it must seem, scotch tape is placed over the saran wrap to make a flexible mold of a client’s head. This is necessary for the comfort of the client when the wig is made and delivered about six to eight weeks later. Every person’s head is shaped differently, and in order to achieve a maximum comfort level this is an essential step in making a wig. The decisions of hair color, options of highlights, lengths, whether it is wavy, straight, or curly are all options for a client in Hair Club. Once the wig is received it is put on to make sure it fits correctly and then a hair cut is given to it to style the system.

Alopecia Areata is not simply hair-loss; so much more plays into a person that is diagnosed with this disease than having hair fall out. Decisions on how to cope with it are essential, and any road that is taken comes with trials and tribulations that teach a person what may really be important in life. Understanding what the disease is an essential part of those afflicted with Alopecia and the options that are available medically are also important. However, treatments are not essential when it comes to living with Alopecia; coping and acceptance of one’s self is if a person desires a complete and satisfying life. Coping is different for every person and how one goes about it is special to each person and situation. Thankfully Alopecia is not a death sentence and has very little side affects; however, mentally what a person must focus on is what is important. Loving one’s self for everything that they are is necessary if a person wants to live positively with this disease. Hair is not what makes a person and knowing this makes the steps to healing from the initial trauma of a diagnosis easier each day. Those who are not afflicted with this disease should try to educate themselves and be sympathetic to another person’s situation. Not having hair does not have to be a curse or a life sentence of solitude, it can be liberating and teach a person so much about the strength that internally one may possess. One thing it essential to remember and a mantra between many in the world of Alopecia, bald is beautiful.