Alopecia Areata

Alopecia Areata is an autoimmune disease affecting roughly 2.1% of the worlds population. Commonly diagnosed in childhood, it can present at any time in a persons life, often following trauma, depression or stress.

The only physical symptom is the persons hair falling out in round clumps. This can increase to total hair loss on the head Alopecia Totalis, or even more extreme, complete body hair loss Alopecia Universalis.

At the moment I only have Alopecia areata. One large bald spot is underneath longer hair, so is hidden. A few new small ones have cropped up at the top of my head at the back and overall my hair is thinning all over and receding at the front sides.

Diet can influence hair regrowth following an attack.

This is the diet I am currently trying to convert to:
Alopecia Areata Foods to Eat, Avoid

There are several different types of foods that can help alleviate or control alopecia to some extent. If you are undergoing treatment for alopecia, it is best for you to include higher amounts of such foods in your diet. Given below are some of the most commonly recommended alopecia areata foods:

Non animal sources of protein, like whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds
Foods that are high in calcium, such as tofu, soy products, nuts, nut milks, soymilk and certain leafy greens
Healthy fats like olive oil, canola oil, walnuts, flax seed and hemp seed
Omega-3 fatty acids, found in herring, mackerel, trout, sardines, tuna and salmon
Fresh fruits and vegetables, as they are high in antioxidants
Vitamin B rich foods, like nuts, carrots, chard, romaine lettuce and tomatoes


There are several different foods that aggravate the condition and therefore should be strictly avoided too. Given below are some of the common foods that should be reduced by people suffering from this condition:

Animal fat, especially meat
Acidic food and other substances that trigger off inflammation
Milk and dairy products
Sweets and other sugary foods
Refined foods, like bakery items
Fried, oily and greasy food

link found here: http://www.diethealthclub.com/health-issues-and-diet/alopecia-areata/alopecia-areata-diet.html

I will gradually start to add info to this page as I discover it for myself.

12/12/14

diet discoveries and food links
http://fedup.com.au/factsheets/symptom-factsheets/alopecia-areata-patchy-baldness

Awesome video about underlying conditions that trigger AA
http://www.alopeciaworld.com/profiles/blogs/great-informational-video-on-the-causes-of-alopecia 

My new hero. I'm totally serious - watch this Ted talk: Minding your mitochondria by Dr. Terry Wahls
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLjgBLwH3Wc



11/12/14

Info pages & support
http://www.alopeciaandwellness.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Alopecia-and-Wellness/419242471448280?ref=hl
http://www.alopeciaworld.com
https://www.facebook.com/groups/110544604586/  this is a closed group, just ask for permission to join
http://boldlybaldwomen.com/


Blogs
http://www.alopeciaworld.com/profiles/blog/list


Books I've just purchased for a little 'light' summer reading

If Your Hair Falls Out, Keep Dancing!: How to Cope with Alopecia Areata in a Hair-Obsessed World by Leslieanne Butler

Alopecia and Wellness: Healthy recipes for everyday BY MOLLY VAZQUEZ

Regrowing Hair Naturally: Effective Remedies and Naturally Treatments for Men and Women with Alopecia Areata, Alopecia Androgenetica, Telogen Effluvium and Other Hair Loss Problems by Vera Peiffer

And on your E reader for those nights of insomnia......

Boldly Bald Women By Pam Fitros

Heres the link to the Australian Amazon shop:
http://www.amazon.com.au/Boldly-Bald-Women-Pam-Fitros-ebook/dp/B00CDGWCQ4/ref=as_sl_pc_tf_til?tag=bolbalwom-20&linkCode=w00&linkId=4UUYGBWSHK6BG4FU&creativeASIN=B00CDGWCQ4

and here the link to the American one:

http://www.amazon.com/Boldly-Bald-Women-Pam-Fitros-ebook/dp/B00CDGWCQ4/ref=as_sl_pc_tf_til?tag=bolbalwom-20&linkCode=w00&linkId=4UUYGBWSHK6BG4FU&creativeASIN=B00CDGWCQ4

I have also purchased the first book by Molly Vazquez for Ereaders:

Alopecia & Wellness: How I got my hair back treatment free by Molly Vazquez


I found this young lady to be so inspiring and she writes in a beautiful heartfelt manner. The book was an easy read and you are taken on her personal journey of wellness discovery. I find myself thinking of her words often.

Heres the link to the Australian Amazon shop:

http://www.amazon.com.au/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Alopecia-Wellness-Hair-Back-Treatment

and here the link to the American one:

http://www.amazon.com/Alopecia-Wellness-Hair-Back-Treatment/dp/1481180509/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1415799929&sr=1-1&keywords=alopecia

Mind over medicine by Lissa Rankin http://mindovermedicinebook.com/

9/12/12
New research indicates trials on treatment drug look promising
http://newsroom.cumc.columbia.edu/blog/2014/08/17/fda-approved-drug-restores-hair-patients-alopecia-areata/ 

Great website called Alopecia World with heaps of blogs
http://www.alopeciaworld.com/profiles/blog/list