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Alopecia Areata

© Mary M. Alward

Alopecia areata, pronounced (al-oh-Pee-shah-ar-ee-Ah-tha) affects millions of people in Canada and 1.7 per cent of the world's population. It is an unpredictable, autoimmune skin disease, which results in hair loss, not only of the scalp, but also elsewhere on the body. The disease can cause a profound impact on the sufferer's life. Imagine waking up one morning and finding large clumps of hair on your pillow and bald spots on your scalp. What if you looked in the mirror and realized that your eyebrows were gone? The disease knows no boundaries and attacks males and females of any age. It is especially debilitating to a person's self-esteem. It attacks all races and occurs suddenly. The disease has a psychological effect on all the lives it touches. Alopecia Areata is caused when a person's white blood cells attack the hair follicles. The cells see the follicles as a foreign body and something that should be destroyed. This results in lack of hair growth for months or even years. Although the scalp is most often affected, any hair-bearing site is vulnerable. Though some sufferers only find a few bare spots, some experience baldness, though this is rare. Even though hair growth can be totally arrested over a long term, hair follicles continue to live. They can resume normal growth if the appropriate signal is given to the white blood cells. Hair growth can reoccur without treatment after years of dormancy. In 1981, a young woman who searched for others who suffered from the disease formed the National Alopecia Areata Foundation. Today, this organization is the world center for information and research. It is located in San Rafael, California and is governed by a Board of Directors. The Chief Executive Officer, who has testified before the Congressional Committee in the United States about the disease, represents the foundation. Alopecia Areata is hereditary. It is not known if the immune system trigger that stops hair growth is located inside the body, or on the outside, similar to a virus. This disease often strikes family members who suffer from thyroid disease, childhood diabetes, asthma, Addison's Disease, rheumatoid arthritis, hay fever and atopic eczema as well as other autoimmune diseases. Some sufferers of Alopecia Areata may notice that their finger and toenails have tiny dents but the disease only affects hair growth and nails. It is never fatal and there are no symptoms for the disease until hair loss occurs. It doesn't affect a person physically, other than the hair loss. Most people who suffer from it are in excellent health. However, the disease robs the victim of self-esteem and can cripple its victims emotionally unless they find much needed support.

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