The AlopeciaBoy Network
Living Life Alopecian Style!
We are Foxy People!
Alopecia: pronounced al-oh-peesha (noun) a 14th Century latin word from the Greek term "alopekia" which referred to the patchy hairless areas that was seen on a fox.
Alopecia is categorized as an autoimmune disorder, meaning the body's own cells are selectively attacked by one's own immune system
Because there are different types of alopecia, here are the more common definitions of each degree to which alopecia can affect a person's body:
Alopecia Areata:
This is the more common form of alopecia, from what I've gathered through people contacting me through my other websites, from online support groups and from all the magazine articles over the net.
This form of alopecia is characterized by dime size and (round) dollar coin size patches of hairlessness, smooth to the touch, usually around the back of the head behind the ears, or near the nape of the neck. This can sometimes be treated if found in its early stages, usually by steroidal injectons or other conventional chemical treatments (read another section for the drugs list).
Alopecia Totalis:
Not as common as alopecia areata, but still nonetheless a popular form of alopecia. Alopecia Totalis is characterized by a full or almost full loss of hair on the head: many still have a covering of few and sparse hairs, like wisps, on their head but they are thin hars, of there is not enough to fully cover the head.
Again, some people can be cured by undergoing various treatment programs - hair treatments may work on some, but may not work on others.
Alopecia Universalis:
Total loss of all bodily hair, including eyelash, nostril and ear canal hairs. I haven't seen anywhere written wether this extends so far as our lung hairs (cilia) but it would stand to reason seeing as how our body's immune system is rejecting all body hair... good question.
This is the alopecia that I have, and though may look extreme at first, it isn't that bad - I still look cool, I lost my hair, not my life.
According to Discover Magazine's January 2001 issue, Alopecia Universalis is caused by a mutation of our body's 8th chromosome - the hair making gene. We've apparently inherited both parent's "mutated" genes, thus the reason for our lack of all body hair. The gene is expressed in our skin and brain cells, causing our body to react against all the genes involved in the production of hair.
According to other studies though, alopecia universalis is caused by an immune disorder wherein the body's t-cells "attack" the cells that produce hair. Hair producing cells are viewed as a foriegn body by our immune system and are attacked much like a cold virus. At this point in time, researchers have found the chemical reaction that occurs to instruct T-cells to attack hair producing cells, but the triggering effect is still unkown but believed to be caused by stress...
These are only SOME of the terms and definitions available regarding alopecia. There are other forms (alopecia androgenetica, which is like balding), including scarring and nonscarring forms of alopecia, and there are forms of alopecia which cause triangular patterns of hairlessness on the nape of the neck. Reticular alopecia takes the form of a grid pattern on the scalp or the body. Alopecia Barbae is when hairless patches appear on the beard area only...
Some who develop these different forms of alopecia will undergo one treatment program and never "go alopecian" again, whereas others may try every cure under the sun and nothing will help. Some may lose a couple of hairs and stay that way forever, while others may go from one form of alopecia to the next.
Alopecia is still an unknown body reaction, and its research is still in its beginning stages - the only thing I find wrong is that the research is so scattered with all these different companies trying to find "the hair cure" that I doubt progress will ever be made by any one single entity.
I'm comfortable being hairless, I have no interest in "growing hair" anymore. This is the AlopeciaBoy Network, remember! I hope this information was helpful to you! Have a groovy day!
What is Alopecia?
All information, images and audio remain intellectual property of Nathan Paul Prince, unless otherwise stated. Public educational use permitted.
No reproduction of website content without expressed written permission of the author or photographer.Information ©Nathan Paul Prince . com 2004 - 2009
