women who lose their hair
by Jenny Bryan
Tracey used to have long blond hair that was the envy of her friends. Then it started falling out in clumps until she was completely bald. Her hair loss didn't stop there. Gradually, Tracey lost every hair on her body, including her underarm and pubic hair. She has alopecia universalis – the most extreme form of a problem called alopecia, which affects about 10 million men and women in the UK.
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'I lost a lot of confidence when it started to come out. Initially, losing the hair on my head was the worst because that was what people saw. But losing my body hair made me feel less feminine,' she says.
Julie has had patchy hair loss for nearly 15 years. When it gets too bad, she shaves the remaining strands off and waits for it to grow back.
'I'm tired of suffering from alopecia, it feels as though part of you has died. It feels as though you can't ever be yourself again,' she says.
types of hair loss
Each of us has about 100,000 hairs on our scalp and up to five million on our whole body. Each hair grows in its own follicle in the skin or on the scalp. A hair grows for about three years (anagen phase), after which the follicle has a rest for about three months (telogen phase) during which the hair may fall out or be pushed out by a new hair. On a healthy head, about 90% of hairs are in the anagen phase while the other 10% are resting. People who are losing their hair get a shift in this balance, until many hair follicles just don't work at all, temporarily or permanently.
Male pattern baldness (alopecia androgenetica) is the most common form of hair loss in men, but it can affect women too. The hairline begins to recede into an 'M' shape and there is some hair loss on the crown of the head. Eventually the receding hairline and the bald patch meet, leaving a horseshoe-shaped fringe of hair around the back and sides of the head.
More common in women is alopecia areata, when the hair comes out in patches. It usually appears first in childhood or early adulthood and may clear up on its own or progress to complete hair loss. No one knows exactly why this should happen, but stress, illness, dieting and hormonal changes can all trigger hair loss.
Complete hair loss, like Tracey's, may be due to immune changes in which the body produces antibodies which attack the hair follicles.
all-over thinning
Some middle-aged women report an all-over thinning of the hair, which may be diagnosed as chronic telogen effluvium (CTE). There are no bald patches or receding hairline, just more hair than normal on their hairbrush or in the plughole after shampooing. An unlucky few go on to develop pattern baldness.
The cause of CTE is uncertain and some of the research surrounding the condition is controversial. One theory is that it may be due to a lack of iron – probably not enough to cause anaemia but sufficient to disrupt the normal cycle of hair loss and growth. So eating iron-rich foods, such as liver, kidney, branflakes and soya products, or taking supplements, may help.
treatments
There are no instant cures for hair loss, and all too many people waste time and money on treatments that promise a lot and deliver little.
Regaine (also called minoxidil) is probably the best known product; originally available only on prescription, it can now be bought direct from the pharmacist or with advice from a doctor or trichologist. It is used as a liquid applied direct to the scalp and is most effective in the early stages of alopecia androgenetica when the hair is thinning or there is a bald patch little larger than a 50p piece. No one knows exactly how Regaine works. It was developed as a treatment for high blood pressure and the hair growth was an unwanted side effect, until researchers decided it could be put to good use.
If Regaine is going to work, some signs of a reduction in hair loss should be seen within four to six weeks of the start of treatment. It has to be used for at least four months before any signs of hair regrowth can be expected, and has to be continued indefinitely if the growth is to be maintained. If treatment is stopped, the scalp will return to its previous level of baldness within three to four months.
A newer drug, called finasteride (Propecia), is available on prescription for men who are losing their hair. But women should not take it as it may damage their unborn child if they become pregnant.
Steroid injections into the scalp sound painful, but some people, like Tracey, are prepared to give it a go. Since steroids tend to suppress the immune system, the aim of the injections is to prevent antibodies from attacking the hair follicles, so that hair can grow. Again, the treatment is most effective when hair loss is minimal, but Tracey started to see some hair growth in the part of her scalp that had been injected.
which wig?
Buying a wig or hairpiece shouldn't be seen as a last resort. Six out of ten wigs bought at specialist hair centres go to people who have a perfectly healthy head of hair. Many women with a full head of hair buy them as fashion accessories. Those with hair problems, like Tracey and Julie, often have a variety of wigs and look stunning as blondes, brunettes and redheads, depending on their mood.
'Coming here to try on wigs, I've discovered it's glamorous and fun and not a sad thing, and there's a temptation to try every single wig in the shop,' says Tracey.
As Tracey's husband Steve laughs, 'During our marriage I've slept with a blonde, a redhead and a brunette and that's something which makes our relationship fun and the alopecia more acceptable.'
If you are going to buy a wig or hairpiece, go to a specialist centre where there are hundreds of styles and dozens of colours to choose from. People whose hair is thinning or who have patches of hair loss do not usually require a wig and only need a hairpiece.
You can have a permanent hairpiece, which is attached to your own hair with a medical adhesive and is worn all the time, or a removable hairpiece, which is attached by a double-sided adhesive and can be taken off at night. A permanent hairpiece will withstand the pressures of showers, swimming, and sporting activities but does require grooming and re-attachment to adjust for growth of the natural hair to which it is attached.
help and info
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organisations
Alopecia Awareness
162 Manor View
Par PL24 2EN
Tel: 01726 814 371
Website: www.alopecia-awareness.org.uk
Provides positive support and guidance on alopecia as well as up-to-date information. They run some local support groups (mostly in the South-West, although they hope to expand to the rest of the UK) and the website has forums and a chat room.
Institute of Trichologists
24 Langroyd Road
London SW17 7PL
Telephone: 08706 070602
E-mail: admin@trichologists.org.uk
Website: www.trichologists.org.uk
The main training and qualifying body for aspiring professional trichologists in the UK, and the professional association for qualified trichologists in the UK. Provides a postal information service on disorders and diseases of the hair and scalp. Website contains details of trichologists practising in the UK who are qualified by and registered with the institute.
websites
Coping with Hair Loss
www.cancerbacup.org.uk/ ...
Informative booklet from CancerBACUP.
Embarrassing Problems: Hair Loss
www.embarrassingproblems.com/hairloss.htm
Information and advice including descriptions on different types of hair loss in both men and women, the causes, what can be done and where to get help.
Hair Care and Hair Loss
www.royalmarsden.org/ ...
Online information produced by the Royal Marsden Hospital on the subject of alopecia. Describes how to care for your hair during chemotherapy, looks at scalp care, hair loss in children, and choosing wigs and hats, and features details of further support.
Hairline International – The Alopecia Patient's Society
www.hairlineinternational.com
Membership organisation which gives support for men, women and children who have lost, or are losing their hair, due to alopecia and related conditions.
HairlossTalk.com
www.hairlosstalk.com
An consumer-run US-based resource for men and women who have thinning hair. Features discussion forums, an online library of clinical studies and information on hair loss treatments that have proven themselves in clinical studies.
i-Village: Hair Loss
www.ivillage.com/topics/beauty/0,,165691,00.html
The causes and treatments available for women experiencing hair loss.
Premature Balding In Women
www.wellbeing.com/ ...
Information and advice from the Boots website, including ways to help slow down premature balding and how a trichologist can help.
The Skin Care Campaign
www.skincarecampaign.org
Umbrella organisation representing the interests of all people with skin diseases in the UK. The informative website has a section on alopecia, describing the different types of alopecia, the causes, symptoms and treatments.
Stop Hair Loss Now.Com
www.stophairlossnow.co.uk
Information and advice relating to hair loss, including causes and treatment options for men and women. Also features details of latest news and scientific discoveries.
reading
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Alopecia areata by Wendy Thompson and Jerry Shapiro (The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2000) |
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The Hair Loss Cure by Elizabeth Steel (HarperCollins, 1999) |
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Hair Savers for Women: A complete guide to preventing and treating hair loss by Maggie Greenwood-Robinson (Crown Publications, 2000) |
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The Truth About Women's Hair Loss by Spencer David Kobren (Contemporary Books Inc, 2000) |
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(updated April 2003, resources updated January 2005)
