Until quite recently, not even the most attractive, rich, or famous could "get away" from a bald and beautiful fate. Thanks to the exponential improvement of LLLT, medication, and surgery, there are preventative solutions that, when carefully assessed and practiced, can have impressive and "braggable" results for those who are starting to notice some of the many symptoms of hair loss.

Of course, we know artists and musicians notorious for their reflective heads. Some of these familiar names have lived their hair journeys publicly with the most apparent forms of alopecia. Some names that come to mind? Vinn Deisel, Dwayne Johnson, Patrick Stewart, Samuel L. Jackson, Stanley Tucci and Jason Statham, to name a few.

Then we also hear of modern ladies in the public eye who feel no shame in sharing their hair recovery journeys. Supermodel Ashley Graham frequently speaks on her postpartum/pregnancy alopecia. Kiera Knightley and Adriana Grande also shared their difficulties after excessively dying their hair and how they approached the extension ponytail and wigs as temporary solutions.

Alopecia, however, starts presenting itself quietly, and the experience is anything but pleasant or desired public. People use hats, extensions, and other methods to keep their struggles personal, which is why we have a whole month dedicated to TALKING ABOUT ALOPECIA in full detail.

THERE IS NO SHAME IN THE HAIR GROWTH GAME.

Statistically speaking, there are millions of people being affected by some form of hair loss all at the same moment. Unfortunately, not all alopecia are the same; in fact, we have nearly a handful of types in this list alone! In this month celebrating Alopecia Areata awareness, we thought we could share some info that the experts have shared with us so you can start understanding which type might be affecting you.

Alopecia is the medical term for baldness or hair loss.

There are many different types of alopecia and just as many ways to treat each kind. Knowing which type you have can make choosing the right type of hair loss treatment easier. At least, we hope to clear things up for you, so this becomes one less thing to stress you out. Read on to find out which form of alopecia affects you.

Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash

Alopecia Areata is an autoimmune disease that first causes hair loss in small, round patches and then spreads to larger areas. For people with alopecia areata, their immune system attacks the hair follicles, making it virtually impossible for their hair to grow. Alopecia areata affects both men and women and usually begins during childhood. Roughly 2 percent of the population, and over 4.5 million people in the US, have alopecia areata.

When "they" say we will all get there, this is the alopecia "they"are talking about. Involutional alopecia is the thinning of your hair as part of the natural aging process. This type of alopecia occurs when your hair's growth (anagen) phase is shortened, and the hair spends more time in the resting (telogen) or shedding (catagen) phases. For young people, about 90 percent of your hair is in a growth phase at any one time. As you age, that percentage drops, and over time hair is not replaced like it is when you are young. For this reason, older people also cannot grow their hair as long as they used to—the hair doesn't stay in a growth phase long enough to grow long hair.

One form of alopecia areata is called alopecia barbae. This type of hair loss affects the face. The most noticeable version of this particular case of alopecia is when men are not able to have/grow hair in the beard area or the beard starts to fall out in patches.

Alopecia mucinosais a condition in which an abnormal amount of mucin, a bodily lubricant, grows in the hair follicles and the skin's surface. This results in lesions or scaly patches on different parts of the skin. While there are no proven treatments for alopecia mucinosa, the lesions usually go away on their own, between 2 months to 2 years after appearing.

Whereas alopecia areata is characterized by balding patches, alopecia totalisis is complete baldness. This condition is considered a rare form of alopecia areata. Unfortunately, with AT, the hair usually does not grow back.

Alopecia Universalis is another rare type of alopecia areata. With this type of disease, a person is likely to experience losing all of the hair on their body.

Androgenetic alopecia is also known as male-pattern balding, although it does affect both men and women. In men, the hair loss begins at the temples and the top of the head, gradually increasing to affect more of the scalp. According to the American Hair Loss Organization, in women, androgenetic alopecia is due to the action of androgens, male hormones that are typically present in only small amounts. Women tend to experience hair thinning all over the head and generally do not have total baldness. This form of hair loss affects around 35 million men in the United States.

Scarring alopecia, also called Cicatricial alopecia, is a rare form of hair loss - found in only 3% of patients. While the cause of scarring alopecia is not known, what is known is that it affects both men and women. People suffering from scarring alopecia tend to experience redness, heat, pain, or swelling at the hair follicle's upper part (scalp).

Traction alopecia is caused by too much tension put on hair shafts. Certain hairstyles, such as braids, pull hair and can cause hair loss. Prolonged traction alopecia can stop new hair follicles from developing, leading to permanent hair loss.

Finding Answers

To learn more about treating hair loss and regrowing treatment options. Consult with a Capillus specialist in your area; click here or call Capillus for more information at (786) 888 6249 or Toll-Free at 1 (888) 272-9599.