Alopecia Areata Is An Auto Immune Disorder
One form of alopecia is alopecia areata is classified as an auto immune disorder that attacks the hair follicles. This causes one’s hair to come out, often in clumps the size and shape of a quarter, Wed MD reported. Folks with this disorder can have hair that falls out in patches or they can lose a lot of hair.
Alopecia areata is occasionally associated with other autoimmune conditions such as thyroid disease, vitiligo, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and ulcerative colitis, MedicineNet.com noted.
It’s not know if this is the type of alopecia that Jada has. CNN noted that the tests she took have yet to uncover a medical explanation for her hair loss. However, some of her friends believe her condition is to due to stress.
Traction Alopecia Is More Common Among Black Women
Traction Alopecia are the most common forms of alopecia that affects Black women. This type of hair loss is a result of the tension from the styles such as weaves, braids, extensions and wigs. It’s happens when the follicle is inflamed from the hair being pulled too tight for too long.
This hair loss can occur anywhere on the scalp, but we see it a lot on a woman’s hairline, the kitchen and from the front to behind the ears.
One important thing to keep in mind: Traction alopecia doesn’t happen over night either. As the New York Times point out, it comes in stages starting with pain and little bumps around the follicles, gradual thinning and then scarring causing permanent hair loss in that area.
Growing your hair back isn’t going to happen over night either. Allure noted that it can take 3-9 months to see any progress with treatment, which can include steroid shots, follicle serums, vitamins and growth cremes like Rogaine. So just be patient.
Don’t Forget About Folliculitis Induced Alopecia
This type of alopecia occurs when bacteria seeps down into the scalp, causing inflammation of the hair follicles. According to Live Strong, there are different forms of folliculitis, including non-infectious and infectious. It’s believed that non-infectious forms are caused by greases and oils that are applied to the scalp and clog the hair follicles. Treatment can include antibiotics and topical creams.
Early Detection Is Best, So Go To The Dermatologist
As stated before, once the follicle is scarred, the damage IS NOT reversible, so please make an appointment with a dermatologist or doctor as soon as you can. From there, they will diagnosis you with what type of alopecia you have, what’s the best course of treatment and if its possible to reverse any hair loss you’ve already suffered.
Remember, you don’t have to suffer in silence. Just be as proactive as you can.
Pcos
The fact is PCOS is prevalent. Between 5% and 10% of women of reproductive age (18–44) are affected, and as many as 5 million women in the U.S. may suffer from it. According to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, PCOS may affect girls as young as 11 who haven’t even had their first period.
For a condition that is increasingly common, estimates suggest less than 50% of women have been diagnosed. Whether you have it or have never heard of it, the question remains: What exactly is PCOS? That’s a straightforward question with a puzzling answer.
“PCOS is part of a constellation of symptoms,” says Dr. Shannon Clark, associate professor in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at UTMB-Galveston in Galveston, Texas.
“I think the most prevalent ones, or the ones that women probably pay attention to the most, are the problems that they start to have with their menstrual cycles,” she says. “They may be irregular; they may go months and not have one; they may have a couple in a month.”
Other symptoms will be more cosmetic. There might be skin changes, such as acne in atypical places. There might be hair loss or hirsutism — hair on areas of the body that are abnormal for females. This could be because women with PCOS are described as hyperandrogenic, meaning there are elevated levels of androgen, commonly known as testosterone.
The symptoms don’t end there. Infertility, low sex drive, mood swings, anxiety, and depression are pervasive. Insulin resistance is so common in women with PCOS that metformin is one of the first methods of treatment doctors tend to prescribe, a drug that helps increase the body’s sensitivity to insulin. This is why PCOS can sometimes be misdiagnosed as diabetes. Up to 80%of women with PCOS are obese.
Last edited:
