Alopecia can manifest itself in anything from a small spot on the scalp, to a complete loss of hair from the entire body. The body’s own immune system attacks the hair follicles causing hair to fall out. There can be many different reasons for this to happen and stress is one cause, although no-one fully understands what causes this reaction. For many sufferers the hair grows back, others have to have injections in the scalp, or camouflage their hair loss with SMP.
Neve Campbell suffered from alopecia in her 20’s and believes it is due to the pressure and stress she was under at the time. Neve Campbell is now well known as a film actress, one of her latest films being Scream 4. In her early 20’s she was making her name for herself as a celebrity, receiving threatening mail, had someone stalking her and on top of that she was going through a divorce. With her life being made public this put a lot of pressure on her and she found her hair falling out in patches at the age of 23.
Neve Campbell developed alopecia areata, a condition where hair falls out in patches but does usually grow back. Alopecia totalis is complete hair loss on the scalp and alopecia universalis is complete body hair loss. Fortunately for Neve her condition was not permanent and once her lifestyle settled down her hair started to grow back. Now in her early 40’s she has a son and a good head of hair.
For anyone losing their hair it can be a scary prospect as it can be unexpected and embarrassing. It is important to be properly diagnosed as there are procedures that could help. There is medication that can be taken as well as injections into the affected part of the scalp to help stimulate regrowth.
For an up and coming actress it was a stressful time in her life and unfortunately the more stressed she became the more it affected the alopecia. It was important for Neve to look her best but the more she worried about hair loss the more stress there was. There are many people that suffer from alopecia and knowing there are many other sufferers can help.
Knowing how to help yourself with this condition will lessen the stress and help with the regrowth of your hair. Neve Campbell can relate to this as it was not until she sorted her private life out that her hair began to grow again. Unfortunately it cannot be cured and can re-occur at any time. Keeping a healthy diet can help, as well as massaging the scalp to stimulate the hair follicles.
Alopecia affects both men and women and whilst men do not have a stigma for having a balding head women do and it has a worse effect on women. It is important to get the help and advice that is needed as the longer it is left without treatment the longer it will take for the hair to grow back.
Once the cause of alopecia has been identified, a specific course of treatment can be given. For Neve Campbell the stress in her life at the time was a positive clue as to what the cause of her alopecia was and a course of treatment could be prescribed. Speaking out about her condition has given others the confidence to get the advice they need.
Celebrities like Neve Campbell have helped many people to overcome their fear of losing their hair and approach the condition in a different way. Instead of shying away from their condition they know there is a way to help and so seek professional advice. Whilst it cannot be cured it can be treated and hair will often grow back. However, there is no guarantee that the condition will not happen again.
Neve Campbell will always be susceptible to alopecia areata but the condition can be controlled when the cause is known. Anyone with a history of thyroid disease, lupus or diabetes is more likely to have alopecia at some point in their life. Fortunately there are ways to treat the condition and with the use of wigs and hats it can be disguised for the period until the hair starts growing back.
Having celebrities who speak openly about what they have been through and how they got through it is a great incentive to others. It shows them they are not alone and there is help to get over the condition. A lot of people are conscience of how their hair looks – I’m having a bad hair day – and so to be able to overcome a condition such as alopecia is a great boost to confidence.
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