Solihull Studio - Alopecia Management

What is Alopecia, and what causes it?

'Alopecia' is the word for hair loss: technically, anyone who has lost their hair has experienced Alopecia.

Some types of Alopecia are caused by external influences, such as Trichotillomania (hair pulling), chemotherapy or scarring. Others, like Androgenetic Alopecia (female pattern baldness) are typically hereditary.

Alopecia Areata is one of the most common types of hair loss. Widely considered an autoimmune condition, it can start at any age and begins in coin-sized bald patches. We don't know exactly what causes it, though intense stress and trauma are thought to be triggers. There also appears to be a genetic component in some cases – around 20% of people who have it also have a family member with it; suggesting a genetic predisposition.

Alopecia Totalis and Alopecia Universalis are types of Alopecia Areata that progress across the whole scalp or entire body.

Coping with Alopecia

Is there a cure?

Although some medicines can help certain types of Alopecia, there is no cure. Sadly, disreputable companies exploit people suffering from Alopecia to promote 'snake oil' products without any scientific basis. Always be wary of apparent 'miracle cures' and get advice from your doctor before trying any treatments.

Every case of Alopecia is different. Some people fully regain their hair; others don't. Some have a single episode of Alopecia Areata; for others, it's a much longer and more unpredictable journey.

Getting support for Alopecia

If you're suffering from Alopecia, you're far from the only one. A 2021 study indicated that approximately 400,000 people in the UK either have or have had Alopecia Areata in the past.

Thankfully, this means there is a lot of support for women experiencing it. There are charities like Alopecia UK and the National Alopecia Areata Foundation, plenty of resources, and support groups).

The type of transformations we can make in even the most severe cases

Disguising Alopecia - our techniques

Every woman's journey is different. How you cope with Alopecia is incredibly personal Our founder, Lucinda, experienced the trauma of Alopecia Areata at a young age, and our consultancy services and Alopecia management solutions were created as a result.

We don't offer any 'treatments' for Alopecia in the medical sense. Instead, we conceal hair loss through the Intralace Systems™, which we invented and have continued to develop. This is a mesh-based system where your own remaining hair is integrated with new hair, and is totally natural looking, as you can see in our videos and the Intralace Gallery.

For women unfortunate enough to have total hair loss we have the Freewear System based on the same ultra-fine mesh base. Medi Connections – ultra fine extensions – can be used for milder cases but are usually used for volume rather than covering bare patches.

We know how daunting and isolating Alopecia can be. Our salons are designed to be empathetic spaces for women who have lost their hair, and our solutions were created to build back the confidence that is so often lost.