Alopecia Research Paper

|George is experiencing sleepiness and hair loss which seems to be due to lower secretion of low amounts of thyroid|

Alopecia Areata is a common autoimmune skin disease that attacks the hair follicles and causes hair loss in places like the scalp, face, and sometimes other places on the body. Alopecia is very common because it affects about 6.8 million people in the United States alone and can affect people of all ages, genders, and ethnic groups.

Alopecia Areata, also called spot baldness, is an autoimmune disorder. In this case, the immune system attacks the hair follicles all over the body and can lead to baldness. It typically starts in the early childhood stages or the adolescent years. However, it can appear at any age during any part of one’s lifetime. Only about 0.1%-0.2% of all males and females have this disease and it is not contagious.

Alopecia areata (AA) is an autoimmune disease that causes temporary or permanent hair loss. The body attacks its own hair follicles, which ultimately causes them to stop growing. Typically, it is found in small patches on the scalp but it can be diagnosed anywhere on the body. According to Petukhova et al. (2011) this disease physically impacts 5.3 billion people just in the United States, affecting about 1-2% of the population. There is no known cure of AA and there is little evidence suggesting it is stress related. Geneticists have been able to use genome wide association studies (GWAS) to recognize genes that have affiliation with the onset of alopecia areata.

Alopecia areata is a non-life threatening hair loss disease. It may not literally kill you, but in other ways deep down it could. I know this from my personal life. I have been an individual that has been suffering from alopecia for the past six years. It’s not easy living in this world with it. I feel at times that it’s a pain just to go to school and be in public with my disease.

The essay Hair written by Maria Alderich, is an analysis of women during the 1950’s need to conform, rebel, or fit in to societies social standards and the inner conflict it caused in women’s identity. The essay is Alderich’s firsthand account of the females in her immediate family and how they use their hair styles to define themselves and represent their self-identity.

According to PubMed Health, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a condition in which women possess abnormally high level of male hormones. The high hormone levels lead to risks of irregular or absent menstrual cycles, insulin resistance, ovarian cysts, issues related to the circulatory system, obesity, heart disease, diabetes and etc. Symptoms differ between each woman therefore, despite research data collected showing that PCOS affects 5-10% of women between the age of 18-44, there are many women who live their lives unaware that they have PCOS. The most common symptoms include: absences of ovulation, high levels of androgen present, and abnormal hair growth. The cause of PCOS is still unknown as more research is much-needed to better understand the disorder.

For this article there were no research questions, but the authors wanted to focus on the pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment of PCOS. They found that polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is common in women, with a10% prevalence in women of reproductive age. Polycystic ovary syndrome is defined as ovarian dysfunction with polycystic ovaries. It also includes androgen excess which is shown by testosterone levels being elevated. Increased levels of testosterone can be seen through excess body hair. Obesity is seen in many women with PCOS, this can lead to insulin resistance and Type II Diabetes. Genetics has an impact on polycystic ovary syndrome with 20-40% of people with PCOS having first-degree relatives with the syndrome.

Endocrine related hair loss: Hair loss may be caused by several endocrine disorders, presentation is typically with non-scarring alopecia that is diffuse (Olszewska, Warszawik, Rakowska, Slowinska, & Rudnicka, 2011).

Hypothyroidism a common endocrine disorder resulting from deficiency of thyroid hormone which can cause symptoms such as fatigue, hair loss, and menstrual disturbances ("Hypothyroidism: Practice Essentials, Background, Pathophysiology," 2017).

Hair maladies: individuals of all genders can experience hair loss, which might be an outcome of an underlying condition, alopecia or a remote issue. Genetic hair loss affects lots of males and females. The hair can also be affected by head lice.

Male Menopause is also called andropause. Many men experience it when they get older. Male menopause happens when the production of testosterone

(Scott, 2017) Hyperandrogenism is usually the major assessment finding and “clinically manifests as acne, excessive hair loss on the scalp, excess terminal body hair in a male distribution pattern such as the upper lip, the chin, around the nipples, and along the linea alba of the lower abdomen”. (Scott, 2017) During the diagnosis phase of this disease, there is no specific test confirming the diagnosis. A series of exams such as pelvic, uterine, ultrasound and physicals are performed as well as lab work is completed, including a look at symptoms, periods, and recent weight gain. The physician then considers all things discussed and rules either way. A client suffering from PCOS. Upon diagnosis of PCOS the patient is “At risk for disturbed body image r/t presence of acne & growth of female facial hair a.e.b signs of withdrawal from social interaction”. (Garoutte, 1970) To properly manage this disease, interventions could be implemented to help the patient properly cope with and treat this condition. “Interventions include implementation of the right treatment regimen such as surgery to remove the cyst, frequent diagnostic testing for example ultrasounds, starting the patient on oral medications such as oral contraceptives and a strong referral to support groups to help the patient adjust to their disease and its physical changes”. (Garoutte, 1970) The goals in mind for PCOS would be to have the patient adhere to a drug regimen daily, have regular bi-monthly follow up appointments, and attend a support group for coping perhaps once a

Men with this condition have longer legs, a higher voice, and a thinner beard than average men do. Their testicles are smaller than usual and do not produce functioning sperm cells, so the men are infertile. Compared with other men, they have lower levels of androgens (male hormones) and more estrogens (female hormones). For this reason, they often develop gynecomastia (benign male breast growth) and have an increased risk of male breast cancer.

Hair loss is a condition affecting both men and women. There are several causes of hair loss. In men, hereditary factors play an important role in hair loss. Such a condition is termed as male pattern baldness or androgenetic alopecia. This is linked to elevated levels of DHT in the scalp. This is characterized by hair loss in the temples and top regions of head and presence of thinning hairs elsewhere.