What Is Alopecia Areata?

Brittany Bowman
Aug 9, 2016
3 min read

Hello Friends!

This is a deeper look into what Alopecia Areata is. If you haven't read my post discussing what Hashimoto Thyroiditis is yet, visit here first. Before a few weeks ago, I had not heard of Alopecia Areata. Shoot, when I first learned about it I could hardly pronounce it.

Alopecia Areata is an autoimmune condition where your body mistakenly attacks your hair follicles resulting in hair loss. It begins when clumps of hair begin falling out resulting in totally smooth, round patches on the scalp. The amount of hair loss ranges from person to person. Some people lose their hair in patches, like what I am experiencing. While rare, some lose most of their hair, while others lose all of it altogether. This is called Alopecia Totalis. Some will see thinning patches but will not lose their hair completely. Others may experience hair loss everywhere, called Alopecia Universalis. While most people will see their hair grow back within a year, roughly 10% will experience permanent loss.

Doctors do not know why our bodies attack the hair follicles but have found people with autoimmune diseases as one of the highest number with hair loss. Particularly those with hypothyroidism. This specific autoimmune disease doesn't make you feel sick, is not contagious, is not painful nor does it result in other health problems. More than anything, it affects the way you feel about your appearance. Some people will experience itching or burning in the area where they are losing hair. This is something I have personally experienced myself.

There is no cure for Alopecia Areata & it has been known to cyclical. Many people who have experienced this before have a higher chance of experiencing it again. While there is no cure, there are treatments options. The use of corticosteroids which is a powerful drug that suppresses the immune system is one way doctors have used to treat this disease. While it can work, many advise against this option as it only provides temporary results & can lead to further problems as it can suppress your immune system entirely. This is again another perfect example of treating the symptom & not the problem. Topical immunotherapy is another treatment option. This uses chemicals that causes an allergic reaction much like that of poison ivy. A quick search on topical immunotherapy states that only 40% of patients will experience hair growth. To me, these therapies & numbers sound daunting to say the least.

For me, I am more interested in getting to the root problem of my hair loss & stop it at the source. In what I have read & knowing what I have been diagnosed with, I have a good idea on how to stop it and reverse it. I'm not saying I know more than doctors but I do believe there are more ways to healing than the conventional ways. I have never been one to take medication for ailments - other than antibiotics when needed. When I have a headache, I rarely take an advil. So it comes to no surprise that I would prefer to deal with this problem on a more holistic stand point.

I would love to hear more about you and what you are going through. What treatments have you used? Did you try the conventional route or the holistic path? Or both? Have you found a way that works for you? Let me know!

Mahalo,