Research

Research study on children's treatments for alopecia areata

Institution: Harvard University

Project title: Parent preferences for alopecia areata treatments: A discrete choice experiment

Type of alopecia studied: parents of children with alopecia areata

Researchers at Harvard University in the United States of America are looking for parents of children with alopecia areata to participate in a research study. This study is conducted by Dr. Maryanne Senna, an American board-certified dermatologist at Beth Israel Lahey Health, and the director of Lahey Hair Loss Center of Excellence, and her research team. The purpose of this research study is to better understand how parents of children with alopecia areata select treatments and what trade-offs parents are willing to make.

If you agree to take part in this study, click on the link below and you will be asked to complete a 20–30 minute survey. The survey is anonymous and approved by Lahey Hospital & Medical Center Institutional Review Board. Your participation in this study is completely voluntary and you can withdraw at any time. You are free to skip any question you choose.

You may not directly benefit from this research; however, we hope that your participation in the study may help inform dermatologists on how to incorporate individual parent needs in the shared decision-making process.

If you have questions about this project or if you have a research-related problem, you may contact the researcher, Isaac Li-Chi Chen by email on [email protected] or by phone on (+1) 857-540-6981 (note this is a US phone number).

Survey link: https://collaborate.tuftsctsi.org/redcap/surveys/?s=DP8DWPMLYPXFFDAH

Note: the survey contains a question on household income in USD, you can opt not to answer this or convert your income in GBP to USD (1 GBP is roughly 1.25 USD).

Latest

Alopecia UK Attends 13th World Congress for Hair Research

Our Research & Liaison Manager Niels has returned from the biennial hair research event.
Could you be one of our Kingswood volunteers this Summer?

We are recruiting adults to volunteer at our fourth family residential weekend at Kingswood Activity Centre, South Yorkshire, this August.
Lisa Parkhurst's fundraising page for Alopecia UK

I have recently been diagnosed with alopecia areata and want to raise awareness and money for this wonderful charity that has given me advice and confidence in these early days.
Izzy’s fundraising page for Alopecia UK

I have been following this charity through my own alopecia journey. I think what they do is truly remarkable and I would love to be a part of that however small

Online survey on the experiences of LGBTQIA+ young people with visible differences

A survey for anyone aged 15-24 years who self-identifies as being part of an LGBTQIA+ community, as well as having a visible difference.
Parent toolkit evaluation study

Researchers have developed a toolkit for parents or carers of children with alopecia, they are now looking for people to use it and share their experiences through surveys and optional interviews.
Alopecia and Me

An online study which aims to understand better the link between alopecia areata and psychological and emotional distress, and the impact this condition has on people's lives.
SECURE-Alopecia registry

A physician-entered patient registry, “SECURE-Alopecia”, designed to record COVID-19 positive alopecia patient outcomes.
Alopecia Biobank (Glasgow)

The Alopecia Biobank is collecting samples of blood, skin swabs, skin biopsies and stool from volunteers with AA, AT and AU, to investigate how immune cells cause hair loss.

Common Treatments for Alopecia Areata

Information about common treatments for Alopecia Areata
Alopecia and Covid-19 (New Coronavirus)

A statement from Alopecia UK regarding COVID-19 and vaccines.
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.
Responding to the events from the 2022 Oscars

We respond to the events from the 2022 Academy Awards ceremony and the actions of Will Smith
A Guide to Wigs

Links to our downloaded PDF wig guide, and information on the NHS England wig report.
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.
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.
Can I dye my hair when I have alopecia?
Telogen Effluvium

With Telogen Effluvium more hairs than usual move into the telogen (resting) phase and shed, so you may notice more hair falling out than usual. Telogen Effluvium is often caused by a physical or psychological trigger and often resolves itself spontaneously.
Hair Loss After Illness, including Covid-19

We asked Alopecia UK Research Committee member Professor Andrew Messenger to answer some questions about hair loss after illness.