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April 2019- In this Fishing For The Truth Nia is joined by Mark, Tom, Alim and Sandy, 4 men who are opening up and sharing their stories about hair loss. From the demands of the entertainment industry to personal self esteem, this conversation is a glimpse in to some of the emotional and psychological side effects of this relatively common condition. Please see below for useful links. Music- ‘Truth’ written and performed by Pari Shamir To follow Alim on Instagram- @alimjayda According to the NHS 8 million women in the UK experience hair loss, known medically as alopecia. Male pattern baldness affects around half of all men by the age of fifty and usually starts around the late twenties/early thirties. This generally results in a receding hairline, followed by thinning of hair on the crown and temples. In some cases it progresses to complete baldness. The condition is hereditary and thought to be caused by over sensitive hair follicles that react to a by product of the hormone testosterone. Alopecia causes bald patches to appear on the scalp, this affects 2 people in every thousand in the UK, in most cases it grows back within a few months. Other types of hair loss may be temporary and can be caused by illness, stress, cancer treatment, weight loss or a vitamin deficiency. Some people experience more severe forms of hair loss, one of these is alopecia totalis which means no scalp hair. This is caused by a problem with the immune system and is common among people who have other autoimmune conditions such as hyperthyroidism and diabetes. The issue of hair loss can cause great distress and there are treatments one can try but most aren’t available on the NHS and some can be expensive. “No treatment is 100% effective” *Source- https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/hair-loss/ Other options: Steroid injection (given into bald patches) Steroid creams (applied to bald patches) Immunotherapy (chemical applied to bald patches) Light treatment (shining ultraviolet light on bald patches) Tattooing (tattoo used to look like short hair and eyebrows) Hair transplant (hair cells are moved to thinning patches) Scalp reduction surgery (sections of the scalp with hair are stretched and stitched together) Artificial hair transplant (surgery to implant artificial hairs) Wigs Counselling or support groups may benefit someone who is in distress. SUPPORT GROUPS: British Hair and Nail Society- https://bhns.org.uk Alopecia UK- www.alopeciaonline.org.uk Cicatricial Alopecia Research Foundation- www.carfintl.org Alopecia Awareness- www.bebold.org.uk Alopecia World- www.alopeciaworld.com Help & Advice- www.alopeciascotland.co.uk www.alopeciaireland.org The British Skin Foundation- www.britishskinfoundation.org.uk British Association of Dermatologists’ clinical guidelines- http://www.bad.org.uk/ My New Hair- www.mynewhair.org