As silly as the memes were, the notorious Oscar slap arguably overshadowed one important detail: alopecia areata. Jada Pinkett-Smith has spoken openly about her experiences with the autoimmune disease and how she has approached its symptoms.
It has been stated that Will Smith slapped Chris Rock for making a joke about her condition. However, Instead of focusing on the Oscar slap, we will discuss alopecia areata and why it’s important to respect people living with the disease.
What is Alopecia Areata?
Alopecia Areata is an autoimmune disease where the body’s immune system attacks hair follicles, leading to hair loss. It affects many people worldwide, with about 6.8 million people living with the condition in the United States.
Although most people don’t exhibit life-threatening symptoms, hair loss can be unpredictable and discouraging. Most cases of this autoimmune disease cause quarter-sized patches of hair to fall out.
Symptoms typically develop in days, and there is no cure for alopecia areata. However, it can result in complete hair loss along the scalp or to the person’s entire body. There are treatments available to help those affected by hair loss from this disease.
Types
No two cases of alopecia are the same. However, generally speaking, there are three primary types:
- Patchy alopecia areata: This is the most common form of alopecia. This refers to quarter-sized patches of hair loss along the scalp or individual body areas.
- Alopecia totalis: This type refers to complete hair loss of the scalp.
- Alopecia universalis: This is the rarest type of alopecia. It involves hair loss in all body areas. This includes the scalp, other areas of the body, and the face.
Causes
It’s unclear why the condition attacks the hair follicles in such a way. However, alopecia occurs when the white blood cells attack healthy hair follicle cells.
This causes them to shrink and significantly decreases hair production. Contrary to popular belief, most cases of alopecia are not due to stress.
In reality, genetics are most likely responsible for alopecia. Roughly one in five people living with this disease had a family history.
Researchers also believe that environmental factors may also play a significant. Regardless of the potential causes, anyone can experience alopecia areata.
Symptoms
One of the common symptoms is hair loss. Symptoms are often sudden, with itching and burning around the surrounding area before hair loss occurs.
Certain cases can affect a person’s nails, beard, or eyelashes. Around 10% of people may experience alopecia, alopecia totalis, or alopecia Universalis, but these are rarer forms of the condition.
There are instances where people’s nails are affected, resulting in symptoms like nail roughness, pinpoint dents, and white spots or lines.
Thankfully, most people living with alopecia fully recover after their initial symptoms. Some people may also experience symptoms several times over their life or experience complete hair regrowth.
Risk Factors
As mentioned previously, most researchers believe that genetics play a significant role in alopecia. The condition doesn’t target a specific group of people.
However, a pattern of symptoms appears in individuals with a family history of alopecia. There are several cases where people were the first in their families to get an alopecia diagnosis.
Anyone can be diagnosed with this autoimmune disease. However, there are higher percentages of people living with the condition in their teens, twenties, and thirties.
Symptoms tend to be more aggressive for children diagnosed under ten. There is a higher risk of developing symptoms for people living with another autoimmune disease.
Treatment
There is no cure for alopecia, but effective treatment options are available for people living with the condition. Anti-inflammatory drugs like corticosteroids are among the most common forms of treatment for people living with this autoimmune disease.
Licensed medical professionals can prescribe other medications that help the body produce more hair. These drugs temporarily suppress the immune system to reduce inflammation and promote hair regrowth. Some studies have supported photochemotherapy for alopecia treatment.
We recommend support groups and counseling services for people living with mental illness and trauma due to alopecia. Here are other tips for dealing with hair loss.
