What is Alopecia?
Alopecia Areata is a common autoimmune skin disease resulting in the loss of hair on the scalp, face and sometimes other parts of the body. When you have alopecia your own body’s immune system is attacking the healthy hair follicles, causing them to become much smaller and drastically slow down production to the point that hair growth may stop. Research by the National Alopecia Areata Foundation found that alopecia affects more than 6.8 million people in the United States alone. Alopecia is a mysterious skin disease because it’s highly unpredictable and varies from case to case. People of all ages, all ethnic groups and both genders can develop alopecia. The hair can grow back or fall out at any time during the course of a person’s life. Alopecia often first appears during childhood and can be different for everyone who has it.
Common Alopecia Types:
1. Alopecia Areata which is the development of hairless patches that can vary from small to large, usually genetic.
2. Alopecia Totalis which is total hair loss.
3. Alopecia Universalis which is complete hair loss over the entire body.
- Although there is currently no cure for alopecia, there are many treatment options available. Please contact your doctor or dermatologist for further information regarding diagnosis and treatment.
Medical Hair Loss:
At our cranial prosthesis center, we have medical hair loss solutions for women AND men.
Our custom prosthetic wigs and hair replacement systems have helped individuals who are dealing with various types of hair loss.
Hair loss due to alopecia, chemical burns, as well as chemotherapy treatments can be covered with a royal hair system. Your medical wig may even be covered by your health insurance plan. You should inquire with your provider.
Where can I get more information?
The National Alopecia Areata Foundation is a wonderful online resource to learn more about the condition and to connect with other people experiencing hair loss caused by alopecia.
Chemotherapy Therapy & Medically Induced Hair loss:
Cancer treatments like chemotherapy and certain medications may cause you to lose all or some of your hair. According to the American Cancer Society, hair fall begins 1-3 weeks after your first round of treatment and significantly worsens after 1-2 months. Your hair could fall out quickly in clumps or gradually over time. You will most likely notice accumulations of loose hair on your pillow, in your hairbrush or in the shower.
Fortunately, your hair will most likely grow back. Hair usually returns 6-8 weeks after you’ve completed treatment. It’s very common for your hair to return a different color or texture than it was before treatment. You may find your hair to be curlier in texture or even gray in color. These physical changes are happening because the cells that control pigment have not regenerated yet. It can take up to a year to see your original hair grow back.
How can Adjusted Crowns help?
A great way to fight the appearance related side effects of any type of hair loss is to wear a custom-built wig designed specifically for you. We can mock to your original hairline and hair style based on reference photos or we can design something completely new together. Our specialty as a company is in making wigs that’s for you and makes you feel comfortable. For medically induced hair loss we keep in mind that the hair that is loss has all the potential to grow back so we are very detailed about what caps and bases we use for medical wigs that serve this purpose. We can design a wig for you no matter what stage of the healing process you’re currently in. Contact us to learn more!
