Finding out more about Alopecia Areata, Alopecia Totalis and
Alopecia Universalis
Alopecia is a general term referring to hair loss which usually
affects the scalp. However there are many different types of
Alopecia, all with different effects on the body and that
require different treatments. This article focuses on some of
the most rapid and devastating types of Alopecia, namely
Alopecia Areata, Alopecia Totalis and Alopecia Universalis.
So how prevalent are these types of Alopecia? Well according to
the National Alopecia Areata Foundation (NAAF) these common but
very challenging diseases affect approximately 1.7 percent of
the population overall, including more than 4.7 million people
in the United States alone. A figure of close to a million has
recently been suggested for the United Kingdom population alone
and as we can see it's a lot more common than we think.
These three types of Alopecia result in very different types of
hair loss and it is important to be able to distinguish between
them. The term Alopecia Areata is used to describe hair loss
occurring in patches anywhere on the body however this condition
almost always occurs on the scalp. Alopecia Totalis refers to
total loss of the hair on the scalp and Alopecia Universalis,
the most extreme form of Alopecia results in complete loss of
all hair on the body.
The most current medical studies have concluded that these
three types of Alopecia are caused by an abnormality in the
immune system. The result is the immune system attacks
particular tissues of the body. In Alopecia Areata, for as yet
unknown reasons, the body's own immune system, attacks the hair
follicles and disrupts normal hair growth.
There has been no scientific evidence to show that the disease
is caused by nerves or stress and it has become obvious that the
condition isn't a classic nervous disorder. Alopecia sufferers'
have no control over when attacks of Alopecia will strike and it
is this totally unpredictable nature of the disease that makes
it so hard to deal with.
These forms of Alopecia have no major physical side effects and
if sufferers are living a healthy lifestyle, eat well and don't
smoke they will probably be in very good health. The only
noticeable side affect with Alopecia is a stippling on the nails
in some people, similar to tiny dents or scratches and although
a small amount of people have nails that are severely distorted
this is rare. Other reports of side effects include itching
around the areas of hair loss during the initial hair loss phase
however this resides as time goes by.
With regards to whether Alopecia is a hereditary condition,
sometimes Alopecia can occur within family members, suggesting a
role of genes and heredity. In fact about 25% of people with
alopecia have a family history of the disorder.
According to the NAAF if an adult over the age of thirty
develops the condition then the risk of passing the condition on
to another family member is reduced, however as most alopecia
sufferers are children and young adults the risk is increased.
Despite the increased risk only one in five sufferers' has other
family members with the disease.
Regarding treatment of these types of Alopecia it is widely
recognised that there is no known cure for the disease but the
good news is that hair growth can be stimulated by several
treatments and can even occur after several years of extensive
hair loss. Its unpredictable nature can even lead to spontaneous
re-growth without treatment.
This article should give you a good understanding of Alopecia
Areata, Alopecia Totalis and Alopecia Universalis. If you would
like to find out more about what treatments are available for
any of these types of Alopecia visit http://www.help4alopecia.com
.