Miss America Hopeful Campaigns to Raise Alopecia Awareness

Anyone looking for proof that hair loss can affect individuals from all walks of life need look no further than Miss Delaware 2010.

Kayla Martell has been in the news in America a lot recently, and was this month nominated as one of news network CNN’s ‘Breakthrough Women’. Since winning the Miss Delaware beauty pageant in June of this year, Ms. Martell has used her position and new found fame to highlight the issue of alopecia and female hair loss.

Beauty queen shuns wig to highlight Alopecia Areata

At the age of 10, the beauty queen began losing her hair due to Alopecia Areata, a form of hair loss which is thought to be caused by a defect in the human immune system, and by the age of 18 she had lost virtually all her hair and began wearing a wig.

But this did not deter her from competing in the Miss Delaware Pageant five times, twice without a wig.  In her most recent pageant Ms. Martell wore a blonde wig, which it seems was a hit with the judges. But since winning the pageant she has shed the wig once more for interviews and public appearances, to raise awareness of Alopecia and the people it affects.

In January 2011 she will compete in the Miss America competition against fellow beauty queens from throughout the United States, and a victory would make her the first ever bald Miss America.

Speaking to Fox News, the 22 year old said, “I hope to show people that beauty comes in all different kinds of packages. No beauty queen should fit into a box and look like a Barbie every time they wake up and none of us do, as you know. So I hope to show people that you are beautiful and whatever makes you different, you should embrace it.”

Alopecia Areata: Causes and Treatments

The precise causes of Alopecia Areata remain unknown, but it has been hypothesised that it is the result of the individual’s own immune system attacking healthy hair follicles. It often affects children and young adults, and according to NHS statistics it is present in roughly two percent of the population. In some cases it can develop into other forms of Alopecia, such as Alopecia Totalis, in which all hair is lost from the scalp, and Alopecia Universalis, the complete loss of all head and body hair.

It is possible to treat Alopecia Areata, but this is only usually effective if caught early and before extensive hair loss has taken place.

The Belgravia Centre’s treatment for the condition utilises a number of formulas and techniques to promote hair re-growth. A high strength minoxidil is often used to increase blood flow to the scalp and open up potassium channels. This is then combined with other hair growth boosters such as ‘Hair Vitalics’, Belgravia’s daily herbal supplement, and clinical treatments to maximise hair regrowth.