It's true that many people can lose up to 100 hairs a day, but that does not make them a victim of alopecia. Alopecia is an autoimmune disease, meaning that the immune system recognizes a part of the human body and attacks. In the case of alopecia, the immune system attacks hair follicles, making them fall out and potentially never grow back.
Autoimmune disorders occur only in certain places in the body. For example, people with Multiple Sclerosis have an immune system that self-recognizes the nerves of the body, causing them to lose control of their body and shake. There are different types of Alopecia, which differ only in the areas that the disease affects.
Autoimmune disorders occur only in certain places in the body. For example, people with Multiple Sclerosis have an immune system that self-recognizes the nerves of the body, causing them to lose control of their body and shake. There are different types of Alopecia, which differ only in the areas that the disease affects.
Alopecia Universalis is the rarest form of Alopecia with the strongest effect. A close family friend of mine has lost all of his hair due to this form of the disease. He has lost the hair on his scalp, eyebrows, eyelashes, nose hair, facial hair, arm hair, etcetera. Because of this loss, he is also more susceptible to illness.
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effects of alopecia
The purpose of hair on one's body is to keep pathogens from entering the body. Take, for example, cilia, or nose hair. This hair acts as a barrier to filter the air before it enters the nose and proceeds to the lungs. Without cilia, the body is more prone to minor and major illnesses varying from the common cold to swine-flu.
Studies show that 75% of people with Alopecia develop depression at some stage in their life. Most obviously, young girls are most susceptible to depression, lacking the ability to brush and style their own hair, or having to wear a wig. However, this does not just affect females. Sixty percent of men with hair-loss have been teased. To any gender, a decrease in self esteem directly affects the hormone levels in the body. As a result of the stigma associated with hair-loss, many people who suffer from Alopecia develop a deficit of serotonin in their brain.
Serotonin is a neurotransmitter, often thought of as the control system behind a person's mood. Too much serotonin causes mental illnesses like schizophrenia, while a lack of serotonin can develop anxiety disorders or depression.