Within a two-month period of time, at age 32 I lost ninety percent of my scalp and body hair to a mysterious hair follicle disease called alopecia areata.
Years earlier, as a young newlywed my new husband and I were surfing TV channels and we stumbled upon a talk show discussing alopecia areata. The young bald women immediately caught my attention. I knew the term alopecia areata because it was something I had. Ever since I was seven years old I had bald patches. The hair fell out and grew back without much fanfare. It was so irrelevant that I don’t even think my new husband was aware of my condition.
Watching that episode made me I realized that the condition I had could progress from small unnoticeable bald patches to complete hair loss. I remember turning to my husband and asking “would you still love me if that happened to me?” Suddenly realizing that it could…and afraid that it might.
The fear diminished as my condition remained the same for years. Then four months after giving birth to my second child, my hair started falling out rapidly and continued falling until I was almost completely bald.
The alopecia areata that I lived with for most of my life seemed to turn against me as it robbed me first of all my scalp hair (alopecia totalis) and then my eyelashes, eyebrows. The most severe form of alopecia areata, a loss of all scalp and body hair is called alopecia universalis.
Alopecia areata is a fairly common autoimmune disorder affecting over five million Americans. It affects males and females equally and is present in all races. People who are genetically predisposed to alopecia areata are usually unaware of it until the first bald patch appears.
It is believed that something “triggers” the alopecia areata in those who are predisposed to the condition. Possible triggers include viruses, infection, high fever, trauma, extreme prolonged stress, allergies, etc.
Alopecia areata is just one form of hair loss that can affect women. There are many causes of female hair loss. Finding out the type and cause of hair loss is necessary as hair loss can be a symptom of a more serious medical condition.