TLDR Alopecia Areata (AA) causes significant emotional distress, including feelings of embarrassment, depression, and anxiety, and impacts social interactions and daily activities.
In 2020, a qualitative interview study was conducted on 45 patients (58% female, average age 33.3 years) diagnosed with Alopecia Areata (AA), a condition causing hair loss. The study found that AA significantly impacted the mental health of the participants, leading to feelings of embarrassment, self-consciousness, and depression. Participants reported a high psychosocial burden, with 78% finding scalp hair loss most bothersome. Emotional impacts included feeling sad/depressed (47% of patients), embarrassed/ashamed (56% due to appearance changes), and anxious about judgement from others (42%). Social and lifestyle impacts were also reported, with 40% avoiding social situations and experiencing an impact on work or school. The study concluded that AA has a significant psychosocial burden on patients, affecting their emotional well-being, social interactions, and daily activities, and emphasized the need for greater disease awareness and effective treatments.
58 citations,
January 2018 in “International Journal of Women's Dermatology” Alopecia significantly lowers women's quality of life, with psychological and social challenges, highlighting the importance of early treatment and support.
95 citations,
July 2016 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” People with alopecia areata, a skin disease, generally have a poor quality of life, especially if more of their scalp is affected.
128 citations,
February 2016 in “British Journal of Dermatology” Alopecia areata significantly lowers the quality of life, especially in emotional and mental health aspects.
162 citations,
October 2014 in “Autoimmunity reviews” Alopecia areata is caused by the immune system attacking hair follicles.
72 citations,
July 2014 in “American journal of clinical dermatology” Some treatments, like corticosteroids and sensitizing agents, can help with alopecia areata, but more high-quality research is needed.
1 citations,
October 2013 in “Expert Review of Dermatology” Diagnosing alopecia areata is challenging and requires careful examination and various tests to distinguish it from other hair loss types.
39 citations,
November 2017 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” The document suggests using standardized methods to track and measure hair loss in alopecia areata, including patient self-assessment and a 50% improvement in specific scores as a treatment goal.
October 2023 in “The Cochrane library” The medicine baricitinib was found to notably improve hair regrowth in alopecia areata, but more research is needed on its side effects and other treatments.
1 citations,
September 2023 in “Journal of drugs in dermatology” Alopecia areata causes unpredictable hair loss and emotional distress, with no cure and limited treatment options.
40 citations,
August 2022 in “Frontiers in immunology” Blocking JAK/STAT pathways can help treat hair loss from alopecia areata.
May 2023 in “Journal of managed care & specialty pharmacy” Alopecia areata causes hair loss and life quality issues; current treatments are often unsatisfactory, but new drugs like JAK inhibitors show promise.
