Psychosocial reaction patterns to alopecia in female patients with gynecological cancer undergoing chemotherapy.

This study aims to clarify the psychosocial reactions of female patients with gynecological cancer undergoing chemotherapy and in the process of suffering from alopecia and to examine their nursing support. The target group comprised female patients who had received two or more cycles of chemotherapy, were suffering from alopecia, and were aged 30-65. Data were collected from semi-structured interviews, conducted from the time the patients were informed by their doctors that they might experience alopecia due to chemotherapy to the time they actually experienced alopecia and until they were able to accept the change. Inductive qualitative analysis was employed to close in on the subjective experiences of the cancer patients. The results showed the existence of six phases in the psychosocial reactions in the process of alopecia: phase one was the reaction after the doctor's explanation; phase two was the reaction when the hair starts to fall out; phase three was the reaction when the hair starts to intensely fall out; phase four was the reaction when the hair has completely fallen out; phase five was the reaction to behavior for coping with alopecia; and phase six was the reaction to change in interpersonal human relationships. The results also made it clear that there are five types of reaction patterns as follows: 1) treatment priority interpersonal relationship maintenance type; 2) alopecia agitated interpersonal relationship maintenance type; 3) alopecia agitated interpersonal relationship reduction type; 4) alopecia denial interpersonal relationship reduction type; and 5) alopecia denial treatment interruption type. It is important to find out which of the five types the patients belong to early during treatment and provide support so that nursing intervention that suits each individual can be practiced. The purpose of this study is to make clear the process in which patients receiving chemotherapy come to accept alopecia and to examine evidence-based nursing care on patients with strong mental distress from alopecia.

Pigmented concealing powders for the hair loss patient.

Patients suffering from alopecia may experience low self-esteem, low self-image, and other psychological consequences. While medical and surgical options for treating hair loss exist, these may be prohibitively expensive or have an unpredictable outcome. In lieu of or in addition to therapeutic approaches, cosmetic options have long been an approach to hair loss. However, patients and clinicians alike often regard cosmetic options to be limited to hairstyling and hairpieces, unaware that newer options, namely pigmented concealing powders, may offer a more practical and seemingly natural camouflage. This article introduces the clinician to concealing powders as a viable option for the hair loss patient.

Wigs and hairpieces: evaluating dermatologic issues.

Hair is an important feature of self-image, and hair loss can have a devastating impact on a person's pychological well-being. In recent years, there has been an explosion of research in the understanding of various hair disorders, but unfortunately there has not been a major breakthrough and not much has changed in terms of therapeutic options available to patients with extensive hair loss. As professionals, we need to understand the social significance of hair in relation to a person's outward presentation and social interactions. We must minimize the distress alopecia can cause by providing up-to-date information to enable them to prepare for and minimize the psychological consequences of hair loss.

'My wig has been my journey's companion': perceived effects of an aesthetic care programme for Italian women suffering from chemotherapy-induced alopecia.

This study explored the perceived effects of an aesthetic care/wig programme for Italian women suffering from chemotherapy-induced alopecia. Despite advances in the treatment of many side effects of chemotherapy, alopecia remains difficult to resolve. Literature suggests that patients' reactions to alopecia and camouflaging strategies depend on their gender, individual characteristics, social context, and culture. A qualitative study was designed involving 20 patients from Sicily (Italy), who participated in an aesthetic care programme. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, and an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was conducted on transcriptions. Our findings showed that, even if expected, alopecia is experienced as a traumatic event that challenges a woman's femininity, as reported by many other enquiries. Diverging from other studies, the wig is perceived as very helpful, since it camouflages baldness and reduces the 'sick aspect' related to alopecia. Patients consider their wig to be a 'friend', and it appears that through the aesthetic care programme they received support they otherwise would not have sought. We conclude that aesthetic care/wig programmes can help women affected by alopecia to cope with cancer 'stigma', especially in those rural contexts where psychosocial programmes are not frequently embraced by patients due to environmental and cultural barriers.

[Therapeutic options for androgenetic alopecia]. / Therapeutische opties bij androgenetische alopecia.

Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is the most common type of hair loss. There are different treatment possibilities for the prevention of and as a remedy for AGA. The broad spectrum of possibilities varies from doing nothing to hair transplantation. Treating AGA is difficult because it is a natural, ongoing and personal process. The progression of AGA can be slowed down by medication. If one desires a full head of hair and immediate results, however, a hairpiece could be an option. A permanent result is only attainable by hair transplantation. In terms of cost effectiveness over the short term (1 year) and intermediate term (10 years), medication is the best option. Hair transplantation, however, remains the best solution for a permanent result over the long term (more than 10 years). Given the advantages of partial longitudinal follicle unit transplantation (PL-FUT) in comparison with traditional hair transplantation techniques, our preferences go out to PL-FUT and medicinal treatment.

The use of micrografts and minigrafts together with advancement of temporalis fascia and its periosteum on the treatment of burn alopecia.

Burn victims, especially children, with visible scarring and other resultant deformities have significant changes in self-esteem, happiness, and satisfaction. Therefore, whatever we can do to improve their appearance is extremely important and rewarding. We used a different technique in the case. Detailed technique is discussed within the text.

Strategies of coping and quality of life in women with alopecia.

BACKGROUND: Measurements of the quality of life (QoL) have recently become an integral part of dermatological studies. Our hypothesis is that QoL in patients with certain diseases can be affected by strategies of coping behaviour, as well as by personality traits. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to explore the particular correlation between QoL and strategies of coping in female patients with alopecia. PATIENTS: Fifty female patients, diagnosed with either diffuse or androgenetic alopecia, were evaluated by the use of Hairdex, an instrument developed to measure QoL in patients with hair loss. Most patients also underwent additional psychological assessments. RESULTS: Findings indicated that patients with highly visible hair loss reported a more negative impact on four Hairdex dimensions (functioning, emotions, self-confidence and stigmatization) than patients whose hair loss was only slightly visible. However, a subgroup of patients, with non-visible symptoms of hair loss, showed striking signs of psychological disturbance. These disturbed patients displayed either dysmorphophobic or affective disorder tendencies. CONCLUSIONS: Future studies using QoL as an instrument in research on patients with alopecia should consider that in cases of female alopecia these measurements may be affected by psychological disturbances.

Growing old gracefully: age concealment and gender.

In order to investigate some of the relationships between age concealment and gender, 269 adults completed on anonymous questionnaire dealing with signs of aging and the use of techniques to conceal them. Although most of the signs of aging were considered unattractive for both males and females, aging women were seen as particularly unappealing. More women than men were expected to use age concealment techniques and female subjects were indeed more likely to use them. Both men and women who concealed their age were likely to be judged harshly by others, although individuals indicated a willingness to use age concealment techniques themselves. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that there are two different double standards of aging, one indicating that aging is judged differently depending on the gender of the person doing the judging and the target, and one indicating that people may judge the use of age concealment techniques more harshly in others than in themselves.

Avanços em reabilitaçäo: a utilizaçäo de prótese capilar como superaçäo da alopecia provocada pela quimioterapia / Advance in rehabilitation: the utilization of hair prosthesis alopecia as induced for chemotherapy

This report shows as hair rehabilitation has been developed in West of Sao Paulo, Brazil, by a group of professionals involved with fair, body and beauty care. Hair rehabilitation is mainly indicated to women who underwent to chemotherapy. They are submitted to psychological and physical evaluation, before hair prosthesis is performed, and they are also stimulated to take care of their body and face. Hair prosthesis is fixed, made with human hair, and can be washed and arranged. It is applied before hair-loss and taken out after hair is sufficiently grown to descontinued its use. By that way, women, men and children have not show themselves hair-less, during and after chemotherapy or cranial radiotherapy.

Hair transplantation between identical twins.

Hair transplantation between monozygotic twins was used to repair a marked congenital, nonprogressive alopecia of the scalp. The alopecia was due to a follicular aplasia that, along with several other abnormalities of the integumentary system, affected only one of the twins. This case represents a unique application of isograft transplantation.