Alopecia

Loss of hair is very upsetting when it's an extreme case. Both men and women can fall victim to Alopecia. It's very difficult for sufferers to keep their self confidence. There are four main categories of Alopecia with their individual degree of severity. Broadly speaking, the  more hair loss there is, the less effect any treatment will have. The categories are Androgenetic Alopecia, Alopecia Areata, Alopecia Totalis and Alopecia Universalis.

The category most people will be familiar with is the Androgenetic Alopecia. The first signs in men are the receding hairline and the thinning at the crown. The result will be either partial or complete baldness. Women's hairlines are not affected but there is a general thinning of hair all over the head. Women do not suffer total baldness except in rare instances. The cause is thought to be a combination of genetic and environmental factors, and may be affected by hormones. A healthy low fat diet and aerobic exercise could help prevent it.

The second category involves loss of hair from certain areas of the body but most commonly the scalp. Alopecia Areata results in bald spots. It's caused by the body not recognizing the hair follicles and reacting to them as alien tissue. It might be hereditary and some researchers think that stress could be another reason. Sometimes, the hair will grow back but once the condition is well advanced, treatment will have little benefit.

The third category is somewhat more severe, resulting in total loss of head hair. The causes of Alopecia Totalis are less conclusive but may be the same as the causes associated with Areata. Again, stress may be a contributing factor.

Finally, there is the most severe condition of all, when all hair from the entire body is the result. Alopecia Universalis . The cause is thought to be the same as Areata and Totalis. This condition can strike at any age.

Quite a few celebrities have been sufferers over the years. John D. Rockefeller was one and used to wear a toupee. The basketball player Charlie Villanueva also has the condition. Duncan Goodhew, the British Olympic swimmer, thought that his hair free head gave him an aerodynamic edge. Recently, the British TV presenter Gail Porter has bravely come to terms with her condition. She has taken the decision to continue her career in the spotlight without recourse to wigs. It seems to cause less of a stir when it happens to a man, and Yul Brynner, Vin Diesal and Telly Savalas are bald men who are considered sexy.