In this episode ‘IT’s ONLY HAIR’, we are talking about BODY IMAGE & ALOPECIA. Alopecia is an umbrella term for conditions characterised by hair loss. Alopecia areata, an autoimmune disease, is one of the more common types of alopecia. Not all of them are related to an unusual immune system response, though. Some types of alopecia are related to genetic, lifestyle, or environmental factors, as well as psychological conditions that lead to hair pulling.
Treatments for many types of alopecia are the same and may involve oral medications and topical therapies. For some alopecia types, behavioural changes are needed to reverse hair loss.
Stigmatising attitudes of laypersons toward patients with alopecia exist across a multitude of social and professional scenarios. The prevalence and magnitude of this stigma varies by alopecia severity. Characteristics of the affected individuals appear to be associated with whether alopecia is recognised as a medical condition, and when it is, alopecia-related stigma may decrease.
Stigma is associated with impaired quality of life and research shows that as perceived severity of alopecia increased, as did the stigma towards those that have it with elements such as social distancing, stereotyping as “sick … unattractive” and whether alopecia is believed to be a medical condition thus reducing stigma, or one of cosmetic.
In this powerful podcast. Sam Knight shares her story of having alopecia from a young age, in the hope to dispel some of the myths and acknowledge the negative impact individuals can and have had on her due to her alopecia.