My second idea is to study and research the emotional and mental effects on people with Alopecia Areata. Alopecia is an autoimmune disease where the person's immune system mistakes their hair follicles to be foreign and attacks them, causing the hair on the person's body to fall out. Alopecia is a disease that stays with a person for their whole life, but does not necessarily affect them at all times. The majority of people will have their first flare-up as a child or teenager. The follicles do not lose the ability to grow hair back, so permanent hair loss in not usually the case, but like all things there are severe cases that result in this. There are three types of Alopecia, each being a different form and severity. Alopecia totalis is the form that causes complete hair loss on the head, and is thought to be directly related to stress. The most severe form of Alopecia is called Alopecia Universalis, and it is complete loss of hair on every part of the body and is reported to be rapid loss in most cases. This form of Alopecia is hardest to treat and no specific treatment has been declared a "cure". Many different tactics are used to treat, although success rates differ substantially. Androgenic Alopecia is the most common form, and is responsible for 95 percent of male hair loss before old age. Most people who develop this form of Alopecia loss only hair on their scalp, in small dime shaped patches,that slowly increase in size when not treated. This form can progress into a more severe Alopecia if treatment is rejected. Hair is a vital part of a person's appearance and therefore their identity. The world we live in right now is the type that uses appearance for many things. When somebody starts to lose their hair, especially when it happens at a rapid and unstoppable pace, many emotional impacts come along with it. Some of the psychological effects of Alopecia according to the National Alopecia Areata Foundation are : http://www.naaf.org/site/PageServer?pagename=living_with_alopecia_reactions
- Feeling alone, withdrawn, and isolated
- Loss and grief
- Fear that others may find out you have the diseasse
- Fear that others may find out that you wear a wig
- Sadness and depression
- Hopelessness
- Anger
- Embarrassment
- Guilt or self-blame that you somehow brought the disease on yourself
- Guilt related to how the disease is affecting family members and loved ones
- Frantic in regard to searching for an answer or cure (going to extremes)
- For parents, guilt that they may have genetically contributed to their child’s disease
- For parents, helplessness that they cannot stop the disease or help ease their child’s pain
- For siblings and other family members, shame and anger because the disease has also affected their lives