September is Alopecia Awareness Month and an opportunity to educate others about this condition. Although alopecia is a relatively common condition, not many people understand what causes it or how to support someone with hair loss. Awareness months are an excellent opportunity to promote awareness of medical conditions.
What Is Alopecia?
Alopecia is a loss of hair, and it can be caused by several things, such as cancer drugs, autoimmune disease, stress, and hormonal changes. Some forms of alopecia are temporary, and hair grows back; others are more permanent. Although people live with the condition and adapt using wigs and hair coverings, some people are less confident with their body image and need support.
What Is Alopecia Awareness Month?
Alopecia Awareness Month is held in September each year and is a series of events, broadcasts, and media promotions to raise awareness surrounding hair loss. For example, the psychological impact of alopecia can be significant. September is ideal as children change classes in schools and colleges restart. These are good opportunities to talk about alopecia, especially if a student has the condition and other classmates are unaware. The focus on alopecia also helps charities and support groups associated with hair loss to promote themselves and fundraise. For example, the National Alopecia Areata Foundation (NAAF) has a fundraising campaign and events around the country. During September, bridges across America will light up blue in support of the alopecia areata campaign.
How Can Alopecia Awareness Month Support People with the Condition?
Alopecia Awareness Month can be utilized to inform people about the condition and find out how to support someone or how to communicate appropriately. For example, you may have a work colleague who has alopecia but is unsure how to tell colleagues, and co-workers could be wondering how they can help or what the effects of hair loss are. By using Alopecia Awareness Week in September, you can focus constructive conversations on how to support someone with alopecia so the workplace knows what to do.
Another example is when someone has just developed alopecia, has moved to a different area, has no support network, or knows how to get advice. A high-profile campaign using multimedia channels can spread the word and reach people seeking support. Awareness raising on one condition like alopecia can motivate people to want to offer help and support, such as through voluntary work or advice centers.
How to Help
It’s essential to create awareness about alopecia. If you or someone you know is struggling with this hair loss condition, Custom Hair can help. Click here to schedule a free consultation.
Sources
https://jpro.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s41687-020-00240-7
https://www.naaf.org/programs/september-is-alopecia-areata-awareness-month