Alopecia

“They changed my life.  So compassionate, caring, supportive and tactful.  Such a warm, soothing, therapeutic environment to walk into when you’re feeling anxious and overwhelmed.

Before I met them everyday things seemed complicated.  But now even things like swimming, snorkeling and surfing with my family is effortless.  Nobody would ever know my secret.  That I lost my hair.   Colleen, my wig fitter and stylist is like my guardian angel.  I can’t imagine what my life would be like without her and her guidance...

She is constantly trying to improve my life.  Compassionate Beauty carries so many products and offer so many services that are life changing. As well as losing my hair, I lost my eyebrows, and until recently was drawing them on. But when I went swimming, they would rub off, which left me feeling self-conscious and anxious. A month ago I decided to get my eyebrows tattooed.  I was so worried about how they would look.  But Jody, who does cosmetic tattooing did an amazing job!  They look so natural and real that nobody would ever know the difference.”    

--Alopecia

What is Alopecia? Alopecia is the medical term for Hair Loss. It can be permanent or temporary, resulting from heredity, certain medications or an underlying medical condition. The most common type of hair loss is Pattern Baldness which effects approximately 33% of men and women.

Permanent Hair Loss:

Female Pattern Baldness (Androgenetic Alopecia) – characterized by hair loss typically limited to thinning at the front, sides or crown and only in rare cases complete baldness.

Male Pattern Baldness (Androgenetic Alopecia) – characterized by a receding hairline at the temples and balding at the top of the head, resulting in partial or complete baldness.

Cicatricial (scarring) Alopecia – a rare condition that may occur when inflammation damages and scars hair follicles, causing permanent hair loss.

Temporary Hair Loss:

Alopecia Areata – an autoimmune disease characterized by hair loss that usually occurs in small, round, smooth patches about the size of a quarter. It can cause patchy hair loss on any area that has hair, including eyebrows, eyelashes and beard and in rare cases, can cause hair loss over the entire body. Alopecia Totalis is hair loss that includes your entire scalp. Alopecia Universalis is hair loss that involves your entire body.

Telogen Effluvium - occurs suddenly, typically after a significant illness or major life stress. It is characterized by overall hair thinning and not bald patches.

 Traction Alopecia – is characterized by bald patches that may occur if you regularly wear certain hairstyles such as pigtails, braids or cornrows, or if you use tight rollers.

Anagen Effluvium - actively growing hairs in the anagen state (hair growth phase that can last 2 – 6 years) are effected most typically by chemotherapeutic drugs given to fight cancer or lymphoma.

 Other Causes of Hair Loss:

Poor Nutrition – resulting from eating disorders, crash diets, and certain illnesses which cause you to have inadequate protein or iron in your diet or poor nourishment.  

Medications – birth control pills and drugs used to treat gout, arthritis, depression, heart problems and high blood pressure may cause hair loss in some people.

Disease - diabetes and lupus can cause hair loss.

Medical Treatments - chemotherapy or radiation therapy may cause hair loss.

Hormonal Changes - hormonal changes and imbalances including pregnancy, childbirth, menopause, a thyroid condition, discontinuation of birth control pills, etc. can cause hair loss.

Hair Treatments – if overused or used incorrectly, chemicals used for dying, tinting, bleaching, straightening or perms in addition to over styling and excessive brushing can cause hair to become damaged and break off.  

Scalp Infection - infections such as ringworm can cause hair loss.

Trichotillomania (Hair-Pulling Disorder) - a type of mental illness in which people pull out their hair, whether it's from the scalp, their eyebrows or other areas of the body.

Why Does Chemotherapy & Radiation Cause Alopecia?  Chemotherapy drugs are extremely powerful and designed to attack cancer cells. However, they also attack other cells in your body, resulting in the atrophy or shrinking of the hair follicle. Hair loss occurs because the hair that grows during treatment is weak and brittle, either breaking off at the surface of the scalp or released from the follicle. Radiation therapy also can cause hair loss by attacking quickly growing cells in your body, but unlike chemotherapy, it affects only the specific area where treatment is concentrated. As an example, if you have radiation to your head, you will probably experience hair loss on your head.

Will My Hair Grow Back After Treatment? In the majority of cases hair loss as a result of chemotherapy is temporary. Alopecia usually begins to reverse itself three to ten months after chemotherapy ends but you may find that your hair grows back a different colour or texture. With respect to radiation, hair usually begins to grow back after radiation treatments end and you may notice a difference in thickness and fullness depending upon your treatment. However higher doses of radiation may cause permanent hair loss.

Can Hair Loss Caused by Chemotherapy and Radiation be Prevented? Unfortunately alopecia caused by chemotherapy and radiation cannot be prevented.

What Should I Do After My Hair Falls Out? Many women take a proactive approach and shave their heads once their hair begins falling out. If you plan to wear a wig, we advise that you try on and select wigs while you still have hair so that we can match your own hair as closely as possible. We also have a beautiful selection of hats and scarves, should you prefer to keep your head covered. If you have chosen to wear your baldness proudly we recommend that you protect your head from the sun and use sunscreen while outdoors.