Beauty can have so many meanings!

Body Map has a great post on what they call 'contagious beauty'.

http://bodymap.com.au/your-best-beauty-is-ahead-of-you-contagious-beauty/

 

Self compassion and mindfulness

Have you ever wondered when thinking about the emotional and psychological implications of losing your hair, how a psychologist with alopecia would deal with it? Well, Dr Cheree Hammond has shared her perspective.  She teaches counselling and mindfulness at a US university and this is a lovely and thought provoking endorsement of the value of self compassion and mindfulness in creating an emotional environment which promotes the positive and creates valuable learning.

A great article! Read more https://bit.ly/2JBrZVL

Battling Alopecia Areata

A great article "Battling Alopecia Areata", with this confronting photo on the cover is definitely worth a read. The whole issue of 'Dermatology World' (4Mb), published in 2012 by the American Academy of Dermatology (aad.org), needs to be downloaded. The relevant article starts on page 14.

https://www.aad.org/File%20Library/Dermworld/may-2012-dw.pdf 

News items on Alopecia UK

Three informative news items from the Alopecia UK website.

• Joanna Rowsell is now and ambassador for them and is supporting the Priority Setting Partnership conducted by the James Lind Alliance

• Changing Faces have run a workshop for parents and included parents whose child has alopecia

• The charity calendar featuring bare naked alopecia ladies has gone gangbusters! 

Pay Alopecia UK a visit, their link is on our Blogroll at right.

Face Your Fears: A useful skill for all aspiring alopeciologists!

 
'Changing Faces' and the British Skin Foundation have joined forces to run "FACE YOUR FEARS" week in the UK 13th to 20th October.
Given the fears that dog people with alopecia in social situations, what activities might help us face that fear and master an important skill?

http://bit.ly/1t14JRC

The art of living with alopecia - treatment decisions

Image: flyingcatsandglitter on deviantarts
http://fav.me/d738ms6

Here’s a succinct message from Dr Victor Herbert (talking about choosing alternative therapies but just as applicable to AA treatments)

"Every therapy has side effects and the potential for harm. Before trying any new remedy, get the answers to three questions
1. Is this treatment more effective than doing nothing?
2. Is it as safe as doing nothing?
If there are questions about safety,
3. Does the potential benefit exceed the potential harm?"
http://www.victorherbert.com/cv835pr.pdf

Another contribution to the alopeciology "art of understanding alopecia"

This video from Columbia University has Angela Christiano explaining the research that led up to the ruxolitinb anouncement. A good non technical account ..... with diagrams

Drs Christiano and Clynes at work

                                              http://vimeo.com/103265367

A nice summary of relevance of the new drug for AA

Dr Jeff Donovan, dermatologist, advises the Canadian Alopecia Areata Foundation. Read his summary of the information about ruxolitinib

http://canaaf.org/dr-donovan-ruxolitinib-potentially-new-treatment-alopecia-areata/

Ruxolitinib story in the USA - Criticisms of media coverage

Gary Schwitzer blogs on evaluating the quality of evidence and health journalism. He is a critic of reporting of the trial of ruxolitinib and raises some good questions about the NYT article we linked to yesterday
Here’s some of what he said and the questions he asks
“........ the Times was too vague about the numbers.  It explained that the drug ruxolitinib had been tested on seven women and five men.  But then it vaguely reported:
    “The results for Brian and several other participants have been significant.”   (Our questions: How many is several?  What does significant mean? Only the one patient’s – Brian’s – experience is detailed.)
It helpfully explained that “so far a few participants did not regrow hair.”  (Our question:  How many of the 12?)
It helpfully reported a quote from one of the researchers:  “It appears to work — not in everyone, but in the majority,” she said. “We need a lot more data on the long-term risks in healthy individuals.”
Read more
http://www.healthnewsreview.org/2014/08/hair-loss-treatment-data-in-3-people-gets-widespread-and-often-weak-news-coverage/

The International Dermatology Patient Organization Conference June 2015 in Vancouver

Link to conference website idpoc.com

Great news!! This conference to be held next year in conjunction with the World Congress of Dermatology (WCD)in Vancouver. The Canadian Skin Patient Alliance (CSPA) represents many diagnosis groups, alopecia, psoriasis, vitiligo and more and their theme will be about promoting leadership in support groups. This is a first for the WCD conferences! A voice for patient organisations in the conference program.  Here's what the CSPA are saying

"Skin patient organizations serve a unique role with their focus on the medical, psycho-social, and health needs of the individual with a skin, hair or nail disease and with their community-based structure. These organizations’ activities include, but are not limited to: educational programs, rehabilitative and financial support programs for patients or their families; advocacy to the government and fund-raising for research. ......... By inviting the world’s patient organization leaders to the World Congress of Dermatology (WCD) 2015 to participate in a multi-day conference dedicated to leaders of dermatology patient support organizations, the WCD and the global dermatology community confirm the importance of the role played by these patient groups in promoting dermatology issues".

Yay!!!! More to come on this as the event gets closer