Alopecia areata is a form of alopecia in which hair loss occurs in a localized or generalized way, and which is due to an autoimmune disorder in which the immune system would attack the hair follicles and which can be triggered by situations of stress or anxiety. Now, and for the first time, a new study has linked alopecia areata to a personality type characterized by increased anxiety and depression and poor quality of life.
The research that has found a link between personality traits and this type of baldness has been published in the Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology and has been carried out by the “Clinical and Translational Dermatology” research group of the Institute of Biosanitary Research of Granada (ibs.GRANADA) and the University of Granada (UGR).
Relationship between distressed personality and alopecia areata
Alopecia areata (AA) is hair loss in a localized or diffuse area of the scalp and other locations, due to the fact that the immune system does not recognize the hair follicles as its own. The origin of this disease is unknown in detail, but it seems to be influenced by both genes and environmental factors. Anguished personality or type D personality (TDp) is defined by the combination of social inhibition and negative affectivity, associated with a poor quality of life and has been studied by the same research group in other skin diseases, such as psoriasis or chronic hives.
Until now, the potential association AA and TDp had not been analyzed, so the objective of this study was to compare the prevalence of TDp between patients with AA and healthy people, as well as to analyze the impact of TDp in patients with AA with respect to alterations. mood, quality of life and sexuality.
The main results of this study reveal a higher prevalence of TDp in patients with AA than in healthy people, as well as a higher rate of anxiety, depression, and poorer quality of life. On the other hand, it has been observed that AA produces a more accentuated deterioration of sexual life in women.
This research carried out in the trichology unit of the Dermatology service of the Virgen de las Nieves University Hospital highlights the need for a holistic and comprehensive approach to this pathology, in which an early diagnosis is important to carry out an adequate treatment of alopecia. and associated comorbidities such as anxiety and depression.
Source: University of Granada (UGR)
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