What is Alopecia Areata?

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 September is Alopecia Areata Awareness Month

September is Alopecia Areata Awareness Month. For all who don’t know what Alopecia Areata is, let me share, not only what it is but my own personal experience. 

A few years back, I lost all my hair.  It was sudden, my hair started falling out. When I brushed my hair, it came out in clumps. Then all my hair fell out, even the hair on my chinny chin-chin. I am a hairless mammal.

Needless to say, I was shocked.  Hair is a part of who we are in.  When we look in the mirror  or at old pictures, a hairstyle defines us.  Social Media and ads glorify  a crowning head of hair. The loss of hair is devastating. That is why it is so important to know you are not alone and to realize that you are beautiful with or without hair. 

I didn’t know at the time that I had  joined a group of over 6.8 million people in the United States and 147 million people world-wide with Alopecia Areata. The National Alopecia Areata Foundation (NAAF) website has helped answer many of my questions about the disease and offered support through online groups.  NAAF has given me courage to speak about this disease.

Alopecia Areata is an autoimmune disease that comes in several flavors; 

Alopecia Areata Patchy(hair loss in patches),  Alopecia Areata Totalis(total scalp loss of hair)and Alopecia Areata Universalis (loss of all hair).  

Alopecia Areata is an autoimmune disease, which means your immune system mistakes the normal cells in your body as foreign invaders and attacks these cells. No one is sure why an individual’s  immune system attacks hair follicles. 

Scientists aren’t exactly sure what triggers the immune system to attack healthy hair follicles when people have Alopecia Areata. They are not sure if these triggers first happen inside the body from a virus or bacteria or outside the body from something in your surroundings or if it’s a combination of both. 

Scientists are researching to find answers and a find a cure. 

NAAF is putting forth a September Super Power Challenge fundraising and awareness competition during the month of September.  Their goal is to raise $150,000 to benefit NAAF’s mission of aiding all individuals affected by this disease.  Go to http://www.naaf.org for more information.

People can help by bringing attention and understanding to Alopecia Areata  through distributing educational brochures, holding bowl-a-thons, benefit concerts, car washes, and even garden and yard sales.

You can call 415-472-3780, or email info@naaf.org, and get your copy of our Community Awareness Planning Guide.

The  Philadelphia Phillies held a Team Up  night to bring awareness about the disease. In other parts of the country  baseball teams are teaming up too.  The Washington Nationals and the St. Louis Cardinals will be playing on Sept. 21 at their respective fields. The Miami Marlins, and Houston Astros play on Sept. 22.  On Sept. 23 The Los Angeles Dodgers. On Sept. 24 the Stan Francisco Giants will join in the awareness campaign.

Many more events are listed at the NAAF.org website beyond the month of September. Check them out.

Stefanie Hodgson (pictured) was diagnosed with alopecia when her hair started falling out at the age of six. Follow this link to read more about her.  https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-4964870/Woman-alopecia-opens-tortuous-hair-loss.html

If you have Alopecia Areata know that you are not alone. There are people who care and many inspirational stories about others who have handled this disease.

You never know if that person standing next to you is wearing a wig because of Alopecia Areata.  If you are standing next to me, I am. When I am not, I still am me.