TLDR Wigs significantly improve the well-being of people with severe hair loss.
The study evaluated the psychosocial impact of wigs on 40 patients with severe alopecia areata (AA), using the Severity Alopecia Tool (SALT) score ≥ 50% and the Psychosocial Impact of Assistive Device Scale (PIADS) and Hair Specific Skindex-29 (Hairdex-29) after at least 4 weeks of wig use. Results indicated a significant positive effect on patients' psychosocial well-being, as evidenced by increased PIADS scores and decreased Hairdex-29 scores, except for the "symptom scale." Women experienced a greater improvement in "competence" than men. The study highlighted the negative aspects of wig use, such as cost and potential scalp disease, and advocated for the recognition of wigs as medical assistive devices, suggesting the need for greater awareness and institutional support for individuals with severe AA.
Cited in this study
5 / 5 results
29 citations
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August 2013 in “Journal of The European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology” Use 5% minoxidil or oral finasteride for mild-to-moderate hair loss, combine with hair transplant for severe cases.
9 citations
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December 2012 in “The Journal of Dermatology” Wearing wigs or hairpieces improves self-esteem, adaptability, and competence in women with alopecia areata.
101 citations
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August 2012 in “Annals of Dermatology” Men with hair loss experience lower quality of life, worsened by factors like age, severity, and treatment history.
218 citations
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May 2012 in “British Journal of Dermatology” Guidelines suggest various treatments for alopecia areata, but leaving it untreated is also an option as 80% cases may recover on their own.
19 citations
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May 2011 in “Dermatologic Therapy” The document suggests using hairpieces, wigs, and safe cosmetic techniques to hide hair loss from alopecia areata.
148 citations
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March 2019 in “Journal of autoimmunity” Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease causing patchy hair loss, often with other autoimmune disorders, but its exact causes are unknown.
4 citations
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November 2018 in “JAAD case reports” Alopecia areata can sometimes appear as a straight line of hair loss instead of round patches.
May 2018 in “Journal of cosmetology & trichology” Combining platelet-rich plasma therapy with prostaglandin-F eye drops can significantly regrow hair in alopecia universalis.
