Volunteers Sought for Study into Hair Loss in Women and Femininity

A student at the London School of Economics and Political Science is reaching out to women with hair loss for a study that aims to delve into the psychological effects that can come with losing your hair.

The student, Aiste Gaizauskaite, wants to speak to people either in person or via Skype to discuss how their hair loss has affected the perception of their femininity. In an information sheet that she has prepared for potential interviewees, she writes that: “Little is known about what it is like for women to experience alopecia, in terms of what having alopecia means to them and how it may influence their well-being. This research will focus on women's experience of various conditions of hair loss, with the main focus on their femininity.”

Women with hair loss 'misrepresented in society'

Ms Gaizauskaite goes on to argue that women with hair loss are “misrepresented within our society and left alone to deal with this problem.” During her research, she says she hopes to learn more about women’s coping techniques when they have lost hair to a hair loss condition and that she hopes to explore “what impact hair loss has on women’s perception of their femininity.”

The student is recruiting women of any age with “any form of alopecia”, which we can assume actually means hair loss in any form, from Female Pattern Hair Loss to Telogen Effluvium, and, of course, Alopecia Areata, the hair loss condition many people are referring to when they use the catch-all term “alopecia”.

Ms Gaizauskaite promises not to disclose participants’ identities in her findings, and asserts that “there are no right or wrong answers I am only interested in your opinions and experiences.”

She can be contacted at [email protected] for more details.

Damaging psychological effects

Much has been written about the damaging psychological effects of hair loss, with both men and women frequently affected. A common complaint for men when a condition such as Male Pattern Baldness becomes evident is that they feel powerless, prematurely old and that they are being robbed of their vitality and masculinity. For women, a full head of hair is so inextricably linked to the concept of beauty that many feel less feminine and less attractive if their hair falls out or starts to thin.

Many hair loss conditions, however, can be treated and Belgravia finds that, despite minoxidil being clinically-proven for male and female pattern shedding, it can also provide impressive regrowth results in women with a variety of other conditions too. Advances in medical science mean that there are proven products on the market, and an experienced hair loss specialist can both diagnose a condition and then help devise a bespoke treatment course.

It is often the case that lost hair can be regrown, and with it - and even just from taking that proactive step of seeking out help and feeling as if you are doing something positive to help your situation - can come a return of self-confidence. This is something we hear repeatedly from both our female and male clients.

This was certainly the case with Belgravia client Rachel, pictured here, who had both patchy hair loss from the autoimmune condition Alopecia Areata and Traction Alopecia which is caused by straining the follicles often by repeatedly wearing tight and/or heavy hairstyles. She wrote: "To some people it’s just hair, but to me it’s my confidence, self-esteem, youth, femininity and Belgravia has given all that back. Thank you seems too small, but thank you."