The Belgravia Centre Blog

Trying to fit in at school can be tough for any child at the best of times but could you imagine if the child had no hair? Yesterday the Daily Mail ran a feature on two brave sisters, aged just 9 and 11, who suffer from Alopecia Areata and have decided to hang up their wigs and attend school bald. Emily, 11, and Faye, 9, Sandford have said they feel confident enough to show their classmates how they look naturally.

In 2002, Faye, was the first to start losing her hair, aged just two and a half. The girl’s mother, Paula, tried to hide the bald patches with various hairstyles but by the time Faye was five, the hair loss could not be disguised. Emily started to lose her hair at the age of five, the year after Faye.

Soon after the girls decided to wear wigs and kept them on all the time. Paula and the girl’s father, David, said the school and the Alopecia Areata Support Community had helped the girls learn to live with the condition.

Maude Blight, the founder of the Wales-based support organisation, told the Daily Mail: “It’s difficult for anybody to lose their hair but I think Faye and Emily can support each other  -  those two girls are very strong.”

Alopecia Areata is a type of hair loss caused by an autoimmune disorder however what triggers the immune system to attack the hair follicles, is not known for certain. Some experts and sufferers believe that stress can act as a trigger. For some the hair re-grows on its own within a year, while for others the condition can develop into Alopecia Totalis (total loss of scalp hair) or Alopecia Universalis (total loss of scalp and body hair). It affects children and adults although it is more common among young people. There is a genetic link in approximately 25% of cases.

Unfortunately, there is no suitable treatment for children at present, however, adults who develop the condition may be able to use a course of hair loss treatments. The Belgravia Centre has had success treating mild and early-stage Alopecia Areata using tailored treatment programmes based mainly around Minoxidil 12.5% cream + Azelaic Acid (AA).

If you would like to find out more about treatments for Alopecia Areata, or for any other type of hair loss, contact Belgravia for a free consultation. To book an appointment, call 020 7730 6666 or message the centre. Alternatively, complete the online diagnostic form and a treatment advisor will contact you to discuss matters further.

More Information
Alopecia Areata
Hair Loss in Men
Hair Loss in Women
Hair Loss Products Reviews

Alopecia Areata Organisations
Alopecia UK
Alopecia Awareness
Help4Alopecia

Alopecia Areata Treatment Success Stories
“Dramatic improvement”
“My (bald) patches are almost gone”
“The regrowth is progressing. Can’t recommend highly enough. Fantastic!”