Hair, or lack of it

I am definitely new to the blogging thing. Summer is in full swing and the lack of a defined schedule has me flyin' by the seat of my pants! (on oh so many levels)

Hair, we are bombarded by TV, magazines, media in general, showing us what is hot, instyle, sexy, the best color, you get the picture...:) Our appearance is what people judge us by, first impressions are long lasting, even if they are not correct.

Back to the hair, or rather lack of it. Alopecia Areata. What the heck is that? It literally translates to baldness in spots. Most of us think of baldness as happening to older men. Well, it can happen to any one of us, it affects children, adults, any race, religion or creed. It is a disease that does not discriminate.
As a hairstylist, I learned about it during my training and have seen some clients who have it to varying degrees. Now, as a parent, I am experiencing it first hand. My 5 year old daughter Coty has been diagnosed with Alopecia Areata.

There is no cure for Alopecia. There are treatments that help some patients; no guarantee that the hair will grow back or if it does that it will stay. Of course the possibility that the hair returns to its normal state does exist. Some patients experience intermittment bouts throughout their lives, while others live with total hair loss. The National Alopecia Areata Foundation is doing research to find out even more about the disease.

Alopecia Areata is an auto immune disorder. That basically means the white blood cells of the person affected are attacking the involved hair follicles rendering them incapable of growing hair. Research is being done to find any genetic links that may exist between other autoimmune disorders and Alopecia.

You can visit the Alopecia Areata Foundation's website, www.naaf.com for more information and to help support research by making a contribution.
Stay tuned, I will keep you up to date with events that are planned in the future to raise public awareness and support.