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5th May 2008
Alex
Wilson
Finding Out The Bare Facts About
Alopecia
If you find that you have an extreme loss of
hair, it is only understandable that it is
going to be very upsetting and distressing.
It is not only men that can suffer from
alopecia but women as well, and when they are
hit with this problem they find it hard to show
any self confidence.
The severity of the problem falls into four
categories which are, Androgenetic Alopecia,
Alopecia Areata, Alopecia Totalis and Alopecia
Universalis.
Speaking in a broad sense, the more severe that
the hair loss is, the less chance that any form
of treatment is going have an effect.
It is most likely that any sufferers will be
most familiar with the first category which is
Androgenetic Alopecia, this is where the first
signs in men are the receding hairline and the
thinning at the crown.
The result will be either partial or complete
baldness. Women's hairlines are not affected
but there is a general thinning of hair all
over the head.
It is only in some rare instances that women
suffer from total hair loss.
The cause of this is thought to be a
combination of genetic and environmental
reasons, and could also be affected by
hormones.
A normal healthy low fat diet and exercise
involving aerobics could help towards
preventing it.
The next category of alopecia involves baldness
from certain areas of the body but most in
general it is most commonly the scalp. Alopecia
Areata results in bald areas.
It's caused by the body not being able to
recognise the hair follicles and reacting to
them as some sort of foreign tissue.
It is possible that this could be hereditary
and there are some researchers that think that
stress could be another contributing factor.
The hair will sometimes grow back but if the
condition gets to an advanced stage the
treatment can have of little benefit.
The third category can be very much more
severe, resulting in total
baldness.
The causes of Alopecia Totalis are less
conclusive but there are thoughts that it could
be the same as the causes associated with
Areata. Again, it is stress that may be a
contributing factor.
With the fourth category we find that this is
the most severe condition of all, when all the
hair from the entire body results in all over
baldness.
Alopecia Universalis . The cause is thought to
be the same as Areata and Totalis. This
condition can strike at any age.
There have been a number of very well known
people that have been sufferers over the years.
John D. Rockefeller was one and used to have to
wear a wig.
The basketball player Charlie Villanueva was
another that fell victim to the condition.
More recently, the British TV presenter Gail
Porter came to terms with her condition. She
took the decision to continue her career in the
spotlight without resorting to wearing a
wig.
If there can be any positive thoughts that can
come from this problem, Duncan Goodhew, the
British Olympic swimmer, thought that his hair
free head gave him an aerodynamic edge when he
was in his competitions.
It seems to be not a noticeable when the
condition happens to a man, for example Yul
Brynner, Vin Diesal and Telly Savalas are men
with no head of hair, but who are considered
somewhat of a sex symbol.
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