The impact of alopecia on women

The impact that alopecia is having on British women’s lives is huge.  Knowing how common hair loss is and how important self-image is to most women, it’s concerning that they feel less attractive and avoid certain social circumstances when suffering.

There are more demands on young women than ever.  It’s common for them to juggle a stressful job, young children, domestic responsibilities and busy social lives – It’s no wonder the stress is taking its toll on their bodies.

While many may have heard the word ‘alopecia’, few know exactly what alopecia is. Alopecia’ covers a number of conditions that may result in partial or complete hair loss and can affect various parts of the body. A lot of work has gone into bringing more attention to the conditions Alopecia Areata, Alopecia Totalis and Alopecia Universalis, which are autoimmune conditions, meaning, the immune system attacks the hair follicle, preventing hair growth. Alopecia Areata, also known as spot baldness, affects a considerable number of people with varying severity, but has been known to spontaneously reverse.

In its more advanced forms, Alopecia Totalis and Universalis, which are considered rare, the hair loss is more severe and affects the entire scalp or body, including eyebrows and eyelashes. Many will experience some form of hair loss in their life, whether due to stress, hormones or something else. It is important to remember that far from all hair loss is permanent and that most hair loss can be addressed with the right approach. However, people experiencing unexplained hair loss should always see their GP to account for any possible underlying health conditions. The fact is that hair loss can have devastating psychological consequences for the sufferers, whether caused by an autoimmune condition or simply stress.

The National Hair Council hopes to spread awareness and improve the quality of life of hair loss sufferers through education.