Our Research Aims

Our overall research aim is to provide hope and confidence to people with alopecia by funding research into its causes, with the aim of
finding treatments, and ultimately, a cure. For too long those with alopecia have had to deal with treatments that work for some and not for others, with no actual cure available.

Alopecia UK are keen to keep those with alopecia at the heart of what they do and keep everything within the charity driven by the needs and wants of those with alopecia, this includes research. As such we want to ensure those with alopecia are involved in the direction of research and that the voice of those with alopecia is always heard. We believe that our Research Strategy, and the direction of research, relies on our patient mandate, and we look forward to keeping you all involved in this process.

For more information, download our Research Strategy

Key areas of Research?

Alopecia UK have identified three key areas for research.

Causes: Understanding the causes of hair loss can help inform treatments and hopefully in the future a cure.
Treatments: What treatments are available for Alopecia and how effective are current treatments. In addition to medical treatments, Alopecia UK also want to look at lifestyle changes that may be of benefit to people with alopecia and the psychological interventions available which may alleviate the distress associated with hair loss.
Management: How is alopecia managed both medically and psychologically and how can we better support people with hair loss to manage the condition.

Supporting Research

Alopecia UK aim to support researchers by providing funding and helping researchers to publicise their projects to people affected by alopecia and members of the public. We took our first steps towards funding research in 2015, when Alopecia UK funded the Hair Loss Priority Setting Partnership (PSP) with the James Lind Alliance, the results of which were published in two papers, one in 2017 and the other in 2018. The PSP involved people affected by alopecia and treatment providers and prioritised the top 10 questions raised by participants, available here.

The merger between Autoimmune Alopecia Research UK (AAR-UK) and Alopecia UK in November 2017 marked the start of an exciting new chapter, where both charities decided to combine efforts to increase research funding for alopecia.

In 2018, we held our first ever grant funding call. Two projects were funded in this round:

Characterising the role of antigen presenting cells in alopecia areata, run by Dr Mardaryev at the University of Bradford
Coeliac disease and micronutrient deficiency in alopecia areata: Association or coincidence?, run by Dr Salam at St Johns Institute of Dermatology in London.

In 2020, we held our second grant funding call. Four projects were funded in this round:

Genome-wide meta-analysis and comprehensive functional annotation of susceptibility loci in female frontal fibrosing alopecia, run by Dr Christos Tziotzios at St John's Institute of Dermatology
Microbiota signature of alopecia, run by Dr Claire Higgins at Imperial College
Do you see you? Impact of media representation on woman with alopecia, run by Dr Shruti Narayaswamy at University of St Andrews
Molecular exploration of male frontal fibrosing alopecia, run by Dr Tuntas Rayinda at King's College

In February 2021 we opened a third funding call for our Research Pots Grant Scheme:

Research pots (up to £20,000)

Further Grant Schemes will be coming soon

Small grants (up to £1,500) - year round application coming soon
Public engagement or Patient involvement grants (up to £500) - year round application coming soon
Larger funding pot utilising legacy funds received that will be able to part funds PhD projects. More information to come on this later in the year.

More information about our research funding

Monitoring of current research projects

We will continue to monitor projects already funded by AAR-UK and Alopecia UK, to update our members on progress and ensure funds are being used appropriately.

Latest

Treading the Boards with Cameron!

9 year old Cameron tells us about her experience of alopecia areata and acting
Children's Online Meeting

This meeting is a Show and Tell session. It is suitable for children with alopecia up to age 12.
Seeking the trigger for alopecia areata

A research study to examine if trichohyalin triggers and/or enhances the autoimmune attack on hair follicles in alopecia areata
'Linking in' with Jules!

We catch up with Jules who went viral on LinkedIn last year when she shared her workplace experience of alopecia. In this blog post, she talks about alopecia at work, changing mindset and establishing boundaries

Alopecia and Covid-19 (New Coronavirus)

A statement from Alopecia UK regarding COVID-19 and vaccines.
Common Treatments for Alopecia Areata

Information about common treatments for Alopecia Areata
A Guide to Wigs

Links to our downloaded PDF wig guide, and information on the NHS England wig report.
Alopecia Areata

Alopecia Areata is thought to be an autoimmune condition that causes hair to fall out, usually in usually in round or oval patches on the scalp or other places on the body that grow hair, such as the beard, eyebrows or eyelashes. Types of Alopecia Areata include Patchy Alopecia Areata, Alopecia Totalis, Alopecia Universalis, Alopecia Barbae, Diffuse Alopecia Areata and Alopecia Ophiasis.
Alopecia UK Support Groups

Find out exactly what a support group is, where your nearest AUK group is and how to start your own support group.
Online Groups

Links to our online support options; Alopecia Cafe, private Facebook groups and Healthunlocked
The ups and the downs

My story includes a brief summary of my alopecia journey. The main focus of my story is about self-acceptance and becoming your own best friend though-out hair loss.
Lichen Planopilaris (Scarring Alopecia)

Primary Scarring Alopecias (also known as cicatricial alopecias or scarring hair loss) are a group of conditions that destroy the hair follicle, replace it with scar tissue, and cause permanent hair loss. In Lichen Planopilaris, patches of scalp appear, most commonly on the sides, front and lower back of the scalp.
Advice for children and young people with alopecia

Including fact sheets for varying age groups and helpful links
Androgenetic Alopecia (Pattern Hair Loss)

Male pattern hair loss and female pattern hair loss. Hairs falls out in a well-defined pattern in men, whereas in women, the hair usually becomes thinner all over the head rather than receding from the temples.