Alopecia

Charity events in support of Alopecia and other forms of hair loss are far from unusual. In the past we’ve had shaved heads, skydives, pink car rallies and all manner of other great events in the name of a good cause. But later this year, a four-strong team consisting of three men and one woman are planning to do something a little more extreme, in support of Alopecia charity BeBold.

Known as the Icemen Project 2011, the plan is to circumnavigate Iceland by bike in 14 days.  The trip will cover roughly 1600 miles, and will take in untamed wilderness and icy peaks, with a climb to the top of the country’s tallest mountain thrown in for good measure.

One of the riders, Pete Sissons, an accounts manager from Wearside, explained to the Sunderland Echo the motives behind the adventure, and his own personal reasons for taking part: “The aim is to help BeBold, so the challenge is secondary really,” he said. “My wife has Alopecia so I know how hard it is for an adult to deal with, so it must be particularly hard for kids. We would love to be able to fund the summer camp for the next two years.”

Supporting Alopecia sufferers

Securing the future of the Alopecia camp is chief amongst the team’s mission goals as well as providing additional financial help to support the work that BeBold does in helping people with Alopecia.

BeBold’s Alopecia Awareness weekend took place for the first time last year and is planned to go ahead again at the end of this coming July. The camp, taking place at Scarborough’s Wild West Pinewood Holiday Park, is a place where young Alopecia sufferers and their parents can meet others who have the condition, and take part in a range of outdoor activities designed to boost their confidence.

“A Hard Trip”

The Icemen team appear confident in their abilities to complete the substantial challenge which awaits them when they touchdown in Iceland on August 12th, but are aware of the difficulties they may face.

“We will be riding between 130 and 160 miles a day, dealing with flat terrain, lots of hills, terrible roads, river crossings, sand flies, volcanic ash … We are all generally fit but we have all had to raise our game. We are under no illusion, it’s going to be a hard trip,” commented Mr. Sissons.

About Alopecia

Alopecia is a hair loss condition which is caused by a dysfunction of the immune system in which the body’s natural defences attack healthy hair follicles, resulting in shedding and a halt in the production of new hair. In the case of Alopecia Areata, hair loss is patchy, resulting in bald spots. With this type of Alopecia, treatment and hair re-growth is possible. If it progresses to Alopecia Totalis, in which all hair is lost from the scalp, or Alopecia Universalis, which results in total loss of body hair, then the condition is difficult to treat but hair can regrow on its own at any time. Alopecia affects both men and women, and can occasionally affect children too

To find out more about the Icemen Project and how you can donate in support of BeBold, visit http://www.icemen.bebold.org.uk

A recent study undertaken by The Cleveland Clinic Institute of Dermatology and Plastic Surgery in Ohio, USA, has suggested that hairstyles such as braids and weaves may be responsible for clinical scarring and hair loss in black African-American women.

The study, which was led by Dr. Angela Kyei, chief resident at the clinic, published its findings in the April issue of the American journal ‘Archives of Dermatology’. The researchers examined 326 black African-American women for signs of Central Centrifugal Cicatricial Alopecia (CCCA), a form of scarring Alopecia. The aim of the study was to identify potential medical and environmental risk factors for the hair loss condition.

CCCA is a hair loss condition that was first identified in black African-American women, and it is thoughts that certain hairstyles such as braids and weaves, as well as the the overuse of hot combs and oil pomades could be to blame. Although hair loss as a direct result from weaves, braids and hot hair treatments has not been proven, these hairstyles can cause a considerable amount of physical pain. It is advisable to limit their use, wherever possible, to minimise the risk of CCCA and other hair loss problems.

The results of the hair loss study

The results of the study showed that 28% of the women had a central hair loss grade of 2 or higher, which is indicative of early stage CCCA. Of these subjects, 59% had advanced central hair loss with clinical signs of scarring (grade 3 or higher) consistent with CCCA.

Dr. Kyei and her colleagues also claim the results of the study show a potential link between Type 2 Diabetes and female hair loss.

“Our survey results suggest that there is a high prevalence of central hair loss among African-American women,” the authors wrote. “Hair styles causing traction as well as inflammation in the form of bacterial infection may be contributing to the development of CCCA. The increase in diabetes mellitus type 2 among those with CCCA is in line with the recent theory that cicatricial alopecia may be a manifestation of metabolic dysregulation.”

The authors of the study wrote in their report that “to dismiss hair loss as a mere cosmetic problem is the wrong approach,” and advised two precautions. The first is that women should be wary of their hair’s condition if they are suffering from type 2 diabetes; the other is to make sure braids are not too tight and weaves are not too heavy.

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“I started for six weeks and I saw how wonderful it was working.  After 3 months am more than happy because my hair is back to normal.  Very happy I came to Belgravia for help and I got it.  Thanks!”

A Belgravia Centre Patient

Diagnosis:  Alopecia Areata

There are many different types of hair loss, and each present different patterns of shedding and their own unique symptoms. At The Belgravia Centre we regularly treat a wide range of hair loss conditions. Our hair loss experts can identify the specific type of hair loss you are suffering from, and tailor a hair loss treatment programme for you accordingly.

As a succinct guide to help you identify the nature and cause of your hairloss, we’ve outlined the most common hair loss conditions and how to identify them:

Male Pattern Baldness

Male Pattern Baldness is a type of genetic hairloss, also known as Androgenic Alopecia. It is a common hairloss condition affecting adult men. The condition is often characterised by a receding hairline or gradual thinning of hair on the crown. The main identifying attribute to Male Pattern Baldness is that it only affects the top of the scalp, so if you are experiencing hair loss round the sides it is down to something else.

Female Pattern Hair Loss

Female Pattern Hair Loss is also a type of genetic hair loss, common amongst women in their thirties and onwards. Unlike the male equivalent of the condition, women’s hair loss generally does not result in baldness. Hair loss from the condition usually takes the form of diffuse thinning and like Male Pattern Baldness, only affects the top of the scalp.

Alopecia Areata

Alopecia Areata is caused by a dysfunction of the auto-immune system, and has been strongly linked to periods of stress and shock. Hair loss from the condition is identifiable by bald patches appearing throughout the scalp and otherwise patchy hair loss.

Traction Alopecia

Traction Alopecia is a wholly avoidable form of hair loss. It is caused by excessive tension and pulling on the hair. The most common causes of the condition are tightly worn hairstyles such as braids and cornrows, while it can also be caused by over-processing the hair with chemicals such as peroxide bleach. Traction Alopecia results in patchy hair loss which is localised around the areas that experience the most tension.

Telogen Effluvium

Telogen Effluvium is often caused by stress or changes within the body such as those that take place during pregnancy or changing certain types of medication. The condition causes more hair follicles than usual to enter the resting (telogen) phase, and is not usually noticed until months after onset. It is characterised by excessive shedding of the hair in a short space of time, leading to thinning and balding.

Diffuse hair loss

Diffuse hair loss is a condition which can be caused by a range of different factors. It mainly affects women and leads to a general thinning of the hair over the whole scalp. The hair loss itself often points towards underlying medical factors or nutritional deficiencies.

All of the above conditions are usually treatable with a tailored programme of hair loss products and ongoing monitoring by a hair loss expert. However in some cases the likelihood of treatment being successful is largely dependent on taking action before the hair loss has become too severe, so it may be imperative to seek help as soon as possible.

For further help diagnosing your hair loss condition and to find out how The Belgravia Centre can help you re-grow your hair, contact us today for a free consultation, or fill in our online diagnostic form for a home-use treatment programme anywhere in the world.

“After discovering I had Alopecia Areata I approached The Belgravia Centre for help.
 
Although nervous the guys at Belgravia were very professional, positive and supportive that my Alopecia Areata could be treated.
 
After completing a course of Belgravia products my Alopecia Areata has completley gone and resulting in me having full confidence in my appearance back.
 
Thanks Belgravia you guys are great ”

Peter Gerrard, by Email

Diagnosis:  Alopecia Areata

Please Note:  Sometimes Alopecia Areata causes a loss of pigmentation in the affected areas as shown by Peter’s photo scans.  This usually corrects itself shortly after the hair has re grown.

Back in January we reported on Kayla Martell, who has Alopecia Areata, winning the ‘America’s Choice’ award at the 2011 edition of the Miss America beauty pageant. Now it seems that following on from that success, more beauty pageant judges are opening their minds to interpretations of beauty that include women with hair loss.

At the end of March, 37-year old Sandra Dubose-Gibson was chosen as Mrs. Black North Carolina 2011. Like Ms Martell, Mrs Dubose-Gibson has Alopecia, a hair loss condition which causes varying degrees of hair loss as a result of an auto-immune disorder. Mrs Dubose-Gibson suffers from Alopecia Totalis, in which all hair is lost from the scalp. She lost all of her hair at the age of 25.

By winning the pageant Mrs Dubose-Gibson has become North Carolina’s first beauty queen with a hair loss condition. She plans to use her title of Mrs. Black North Carolina to travel around the state encouraging women from all backgrounds to embrace their inner beauty.

“My mission is to be the catalyst that enables women to heal the experiences that have eroded and challenged their self-esteem,” Mrs Dubose-Gibson said after the competition. “I am here to help them see the beautiful human beings they truly are and boldly celebrate that beauty and strength from the inside out.”

According to local news broadcaster WRAL, Mrs Dubose-Gibson was at first distraught by her hair loss, but eventually realised that her beauty wasn’t defined by her hair. She now works as an inspirational speaker and has started a support group for women with hair loss.

“I was chosen to carry this burden, and it’s not a burden at all. It’s really been a blessing for me,” she told the news channel when discussing her struggle with Alopecia.

What is Alopecia?

There are different types of the hair loss condition Alopecia. Alopecia Areata is a hair loss condition which usually results from patchy hair loss on the scalp at first. In some Alopecia sufferers the condition can progress to Alopecia Totalis, in which all hair is lost from the scalp, as is the case with Mrs Dubose-Gibson. In extreme cases, known as Alopecia Universalis, hair loss spreads across the whole body, including eyelashes and eyebrows. Alopecia sufferers are usually healthy in every other way.

The condition is caused by an auto-immune disorder in which the body’s own defences attack and destroy healthy hair follicles. The exact trigger for the condition remains unknown, but it is thought it can be triggered by shock and periods of extreme stress.

In the case of Alopecia Areata, hair does often re-grow, though the individual remains prone to reoccurrence of the condition, as has been the case for television presenter Gail Porter. Once the condition has resulted in complete baldness and no hair follicles remain however, it becomes permanent and untreatable.

Suffering from Alopecia?

If you think that you may be suffering from Alopecia, the Belgravia Centre can help. Our team of experienced hair loss experts can determine the best course of action and the right hair loss treatment programme to promote re-growth.

To find out more about the treatments we offer please contact us for a free face-to-face consultation, or fill out our online diagnostic form to make use of our mail order hair loss service.

According to regional newspaper Solihull News, a mother in the Midlands has recently been campaigning to raise awareness of Alopecia, after her seven year old son began suffering from the condition.

The condition was apparently triggered two year ago when his grandfather died and his grandmother had a heart attack within just a couple of months of each other. When the boy, Daniel Jones, began suffering from patchy hair loss and bald patches at the back of his scalp, his mother Kellie, 32, took him to a dermatologist.

“My son was very close to my dad and is to my mum,” she told the newspaper.  “He developed a couple of round bald patches at the back of his head so he was referred to a dermatologist who said it was Alopecia.”

Alopecia Areata

Alopecia Areata is a condition in which the individual suffers from patchy hair loss on the scalp. It can affect children, and men and women of any age. It is the result of an auto-immune dysfunction which results in the body’s own defences attacking healthy hair follicles. The exact causes for the condition are unknown, but it is known to be triggered by periods of extreme stress, shock and trauma.

Alopecia Universalis

In some cases of Alopecia, the condition can progress to result in the loss of all hair from the scalp. This is known as Alopecia Totalis. If the condition then results in the loss of all body hair, including eyebrows, it is known as Alopecia Universalis. Unfortunately, as his mother explains, this is what happened to seven year old Daniel.

“While waiting for his next appointment, Daniel’s hair rapidly fell out including his eyebrows and eyelashes. The consultant said he had Alopecia Universalis and his hair wouldn’t grow back.”

While sufferers of Alopecia Areata often experience some hair-regrowth eventually, when the hair loss has become total and all the follicles have died, hair will not re-grow with or without treatment.

Support for children with Alopecia

Daniel’s mother goes on to say that after his diagnosis with Alopecia Universalis, “we felt very alone and in the dark.” But they found support and understanding from Alopecia support group BeBold, which campaigns to raise awareness of the condition and organises events to help those who suffer from it.

Daniel and his mum attended the group’s Alopecia Awareness Weekend, a summer camp in Scarborough held for children who suffer from the condition. The event’s organisers explain that, “the purpose of the event is to allow children and parents to meet other families who suffer the consequences of the devastating condition… It’s all about helping people to tackle Alopecia, and to build confidence and self esteem.”

Daniel’s mother says that since meeting other children who suffer from the condition he is coping much better and coming to terms with the condition. She meanwhile has taken the bold step of shaving off her own hair to raise money for Alopecia awareness charities.

BeBold’s Alopecia Awareness Weekend is held annually in the summer, and anyone interested in finding out more about the event should visit the Bebold website.

In most Hollywood movies, the main female characters are stereotypical images of perfection, with flawless skin, pouting lips and long flowing hair. A film released in the US this month, however, seeks to turn this norm on its head.

Happythankyoumoreplease

The curiously-titled Happythankyoumoreplease won the Audience Award at last year’s Sundance Film Festival. It  features actress Malin Akerman as Annie, a young woman who has no hair or eyebrows as a result of Alopecia Universalis. The ensemble comedy, written, directed and also starring sitcom star Josh Radnor, is a film about a group of young friends living in New York and trying to find their way in life and love.

Akerman’s character suffers from poor self-image as a result of her Alopecia condition, something which may resonate with those who have  in real life, and is struggling to allow herself to be loved as a result.

In an interview with the website Collider, the actress said that she immediately fell in love with her character after reading the script for the first time. “She has such an amazing spirit and she faces it front on. She just goes full force into it and says ‘Yeah I’m bald! Look at me, I’m pretty hot because of it’” says Akerman.

The actress wore a bald cap for the role, but shaved off her real eyebrows. She goes on to say of her Alopecia suffering character: “There’s something really innocent and beautiful about her, in such a different way than Hollywood glam. It’s an inner beauty that outshines everything. You don’t have to get through the layers of make-up, hair and clothes.”

What is Alopecia?

Alopecia is a hair loss condition caused by a dysfunction of the auto-immune system, in which healthy hair follicles come under attack from the body’s natural defences. It can affect both men and women, to varying degrees. In Alopecia Areata, the individual suffers patchy hair loss on the scalp, while Alopecia Universalis and Alopecia Totalis are more extreme forms of the condition. All hair can be lost from the scalp and sometimes from the entire body. This is the case for the character of Annie in Happythankyoumoreplease, who has no eyebrows or eyelashes.

The exact causes of the condition remains unknown, but it is thought that stress and physical trauma or illness may trigger it. In the case of Alopecia Totalis or Universalis re-growth is sometimes possible  although the condition may later re-occur, as has been the case with TV celebrity Gail Porter recently.

The Belgravia Centre for Alopecia treatment

The Belgravia Centre regularly treats people with Alopecia, as well as a range of other hair loss conditions. Our team of qualified hair loss experts has a wealth of experience in treating hair loss with impressive results.

Our experts have a wide range of tools at their disposal, ranging from pharmaceutical hair loss treatments and clinical therapies to herbal supplements and other hair loss products aimed at improving overall hair health.

To explore treatment options for Alopecia or any other hair loss condition, please contact us to arrange a no obligation consultation or fill out our online diagnostic form.

As the nuclear crisis in Japan continues, a number of emails and text messages have started to circulate which claim that people are at risk of acid rain as a result of the radiation leak. The messages warn that people in affected areas should not go out in the rain, or should use protection to avoid developing Alopecia or other hair loss conditions.

These claims have been circulating in a number of places around the world, but have been dispelled as a hoax by authorities.

Email claims Alopecia acid rain link

In Los Angeles and the surrounding area, an email headed ‘Acid Rain Precautions’ was circulating, claiming that radioactive particles from Japan’s nuclear crisis at the Fukushima plant could mix with rain that would fall locally, and cause, “burns, Alopecia or even cancer.” The email was accompanied by the emblem of the Los Angeles Fire Department.

However, the LA Fire Department was quick to dismiss the email as a hoax. In a statement made to the LA Times, a spokesman said that the fire department, “has not issued this statement nor do we believe the statements within the email to be factual.”

Pakistan hair loss hoax

In Pakistan, meanwhile, a text message was circulating stating: “There was a nuclear blast [at] 4:30pm [on] Sunday in Fukushima, Japan. If it rains today or in the next few days, do not go out in the rain. If you get caught [in the rain] use an umbrella or a rain coat even if it is only a drizzle. Radioactive particles which may cause Alopecia or even cancer may [sic].”

In response to this, the Director General of the Pakistan Meteorological Department, Arif Mahmood, said, “There are no chances of radiation in Japan affecting people here … Between December and April we receive the westerly wave while Japan is in the north east, so it cannot possibly affect us.”

“If it has not affected countries around Japan, how will it affect us?” he went on to tell The Express Tribune.

Does acid rain cause hair loss?

Another major fallacy in the hoax emails is that acid rain can be caused by nuclear fallout. Acid rain is not caused by radiation, it is predominantly a result of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides emitted by factories, vehicles and conventional fossil fuel fired power stations.

Acid rain is also not linked to any significant effects on human health, and there is no evidence it causes hair loss. It does however a detrimental impact on aquatic wildlife, soils, forests, and can cause erosion.

Sustained exposure to radioactive particles on the other hand can cause Alopecia as well as a range of other harmful conditions, including cancer, but experts have said that any radiation released as a result of the situation at Fukushima is localised around the immediate area. Japanese authorities have set up a 12 mile exclusion zone around the nuclear plant, while residents living within 18 miles have been advised to either leave the area or stay indoors.

Nearby food and water supplies have been revealed to contain levels of radioactive iodine exceeding legal limits, but Yukio Edano, Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary, has said that this still would not pose a significant health hazard.

While hair loss is generally seen as a condition which affects older people, many children also lose their hair, either as a result of cancer treatments or due to autoimmune conditions such as Alopecia.

The Little Princess Trust is an organisation which was set up four years ago to help children suffering from hair loss, and to provide them with real hair wigs so that they can continue with their childhoods normally.

In the short time it has been operating, the charity has gained a remarkable amount of support from both celebrities and the general public, as well as from The Belgravia Centre. The Trust’s ambassador is television presenter Gail Porter, who famously suffers from Alopecia Universalis, while author Chris Ryan and journalist Quentin Letts are both honorary vice-presidents.

In addition to this support, increasing numbers of ordinary people are stepping up to raise both money and awareness for the hair loss charity, with many fundraising events already lined up for 2011.

Raising money through skydives and haircuts

Last month, a Hereford woman celebrated her 40th birthday in dramatic style by jumping out of a plane to raise money for the hair loss charity. Speaking to the Hereford Times newspaper, Michelle Johnson said, “I wanted to do something to start my 40s off.”

In mid-February meanwhile, twelve year old Paisley is planning to donate her hair to the Little Princess Trust, after finding out about it during her own bout of Alopecia two years ago. On the charity’s website, Paisley’s mother is quoted as saying: “We are very proud of her and although we’ll be sad to see her hair go we’re really happy to know that it will go to another child who has lost theirs.”

In March, Ben Sperry and Jay Carter intend to raise “at least £1000,” for Little Princess Trust by skydiving from a height of 12,000 feet in Kent.

Pink Car Rally

One previous event which has gained a lot of publicity for the charity is the ‘Pink Car Rally,’ which has been held annually for the past three years.

Started by Salli Gray, the proud owner of a pink Nissan Micra, the event sees dozens of pink vehicles of all shapes and sizes driving across the country to raise money and awareness for the trust. A date for this year’s event has not yet been proposed, but Ms Gray hopes to organise a fifth anniversary Pink Car Rally in 2012 which will run from John O’ Groats to Land’s End.

In October of last year, the Little Princess Trust announced that it had reached its initial £130,000 fundraising target. Wendy Tarplee, one of the charity’s founders said: “We are absolutely thrilled and cannot believe such a big target has been met in such a short time … It means we can help lots of children in the near future and hopefully cut waiting times.”

Wendy and her husband Simon started the charity after the loss of their daughter Hannah to cancer in 2005. After experiencing first-hand how difficult it was to find a good quality children’s wig for their daughter when she lost her hair due to chemotherapy, they decided to start the Little Princess Trust to help others in a similar situation.

Please visit the Little Princess Trust’s website for more information on what you can do to help or to make a donation.