As you may know, alopecia is a hair loss condition which can cause some or all of the hair to fall out on the scalp and all over the body. There are three main types – alopecia areata, alopecia totalis and alopecia universalis. No matter which of the three varieties of the condition a sufferer has, alopecia can be both frightening and debilitating.

After looking at the main points of alopecia areata, we will now focus our attention on the next most serious condition.

Alopecia totalis

Whilst alopecia areata involves the loss of hair in small patches, alopecia totalis is the term used to describe the total loss of hair on the scalp. This autoimmune condition – in which the body attacks the hair follicles and stops hair from growing – often also involves the sufferer losing all facial hair, eyelashes and eyebrows.

The most famous alopecia totalis sufferer at the moment is TV presenter Gail Porter, who lost her trademark blonde hair five years ago after going through a divorce and post-natal depression. Although she still occasionally experiences some setbacks, her hair is now in the process of growing back.

Alopecia is a hair loss condition which shows itself in varying degrees of seriousness. The most common forms of this hair loss condition are alopecia areata, alopecia totalis and alopecia universalis.

Alopecia areata

This is where hair falls out in small patches at any part of the body, although it mainly occurs on the scalp. There are different classifications of alopecia areata, such as:

• Diffuse alopecia areata – where the hair falls out diffusely over the whole of the scalp
• Alopecia areata monolocularis – where baldness occurs in just one spot
• Alopecia areata multilocularis – where hair falls out in multiple areas on the scalp

The condition, like alopecia totalis and universalis, is believed to be a kind of auto-immune disease, where the body attacks the hair follicles and restricts the growth of hair. After this has happened, research suggests that T cell lymphocytes (white blood cells) gather around the damaged follicles and cause them to become inflamed. This unfortunately leads to further hair loss for the sufferer.

The onset of this kind of condition can often be triggered by environmental causes such as emotional stress or trauma, but hereditary factors can also play a part.

Whilst you can go to a doctor or a hair loss specialist for diagnosis and treatment for your condition, these places can’t help you deal with the emotional ramifications of losing your hair. This is why you need to find some kind of support system, to help you come to terms with your hair loss and how it makes you feel about yourself.

Friends and family can be a wonderful source of support during hair loss, but some people feel that those closest to them can’t always fully understand what you’re going through unless they have personally experienced it themselves.

Luckily, there is a whole community of women with hair loss out there, so you needn’t feel alone or that you have no one with whom to share your feelings and concerns. There are hundreds, possibly thousands, of websites set up by hair loss sufferers. There are some to deal specifically with alopecia, hair loss caused by chemotherapy treatment for cancer, or pattern baldness, a condition that is often genetic.

Whilst talking to people who are going through the same as you won’t make your hair grow back; it does help you to cope with what’s happening to you a little better.

With conditions like female hair loss, there are so many myths and untruths in circulation that it can be difficult to know what to believe.

Unfortunately, some individuals or companies may wish to capitalise on the desperation of hair loss sufferers by playing on this ignorance of the facts. This is why it’s important to bust some of the most commonly believed myths about female hair loss and deal with the facts instead.

Hair loss myths: what’s true and what’s not?

• Hair loss is caused by wearing hats, toupes or wigs too much. Unless your headwear is excessively tight, this is untrue. Hair does not need to breathe – the follicles get all the oxygen they need from the bloodstream.

• Certain hairstyles can cause hair loss. This is to some extent true, as hair can start to fall out if it is constantly pulled too tight. This is called traction alopecia.

• Hair loss can be cured by massaging the scalp or washing hair in cold water. This is untrue – these methods may improve blood circulation to the hair follicles, but it won’t necessary cause the hair to grow back.

Instead of believing every hair loss myth you hear and worrying, hair loss sufferers need to focus on getting a proper diagnosis, finding the appropriate treatment and be patient.

It’s easy to tell someone not to worry about their female hair loss, but it’s a completely different story when you’re the person actually living and coping with the condition every day.

Nonetheless, a number of hair loss conditions are either triggered or worsened by emotional stress and anxiety. This is why it’s important to stay calm upon noticing the first signs of hair loss, focusing on taking positive, decisive action instead of giving in to panic.

Again, staying calm is easier said than done. One of the main reasons losing your hair can be so distressing is because you feel you have no control of what’s happening to your body. Some hair loss conditions can also cause clumps of hair to fall out all of a sudden. The shock of finding your hair on your pillow or on the floor of the shower can be tremendous.

The first thing to remember is that you aren’t alone – many, many women suffer from hair loss conditions and are able to recover and live their lives as normal.

The second thing to remember is that there are many treatments and hair loss management products now available, with everything from human hair wigs to hair replacement treatments being used to disguise hair loss until the hair can grow back. Until that happens, summon some inner strength and try not to worry.