stressed

After 11 months in my job (and 27 years of my life!), I finally know what stress really means. After spending 14 to 16 hours a day in the office, experiencing working on a weekend, Christmas Eve, and Holy Week, it finally took its toll.

I am diagnosed with Alopecia Areata. And I found this definition on the net in my liking, Alopecia Areata is a hair loss condition characterized by the rapid onset of hair loss in a sharply defined area. Any hair-bearing surface can be affected, but the most noticeable surface is the scalp. The reason alopecia areata occurs is not completely known. In some cases it is associated with other diseases, but most of the time it is not. Research is ongoing to determine the best treatment for this sometimes-striking disease.

On a more serious note...

Alopecia areata (al-oh-PEE-shah ar-ee-AH-tah)is considered an autoimmune disease, in which the immune system, which is designed to protect the body from foreign invaders such as viruses and bacteria, mistakenly attacks the hair follicles, the tiny cup-shaped structures from which hairs grow. This can lead to hair loss on the scalp and elsewhere.

In alopecia areata, immune system cells called white blood cells attack the rapidly growing cells in the hair follicles that make the hair. The affected hair follicles become small and drastically slow down hair production. Fortunately, the stem cells that continually supply the follicle with new cells do not seem to be targeted. So the follicle always has the potential to regrow hair.

So what exactly caused this?

Temporary hair loss may result from any shock to the body's systems, including starvation, systemic infection, childbirth, thyroid or immunologic disorders, drugs (especially chemotherapy for cancer), or stress. Hair follicles can be destroyed permanently by scarring from burns, severe scalp infections, X-ray therapy, or skin disorders. Damage may also result from tight hairstyles over a long period of time, chemical treatments such as hair coloring or permanents, or the habitual pulling out of the hair. A fungal condition called tinea capitis ("ringworm of the scalp") also results in hair loss. The causes of alopecia areata, or patchy hair loss, are not well understood. It tends to happen in times of stress.

Enough of this mumbo jumbo, I am now being injected in my bald patch every two weeks... I asked Ivan to take a picture of my Alopecia and I never thought my scalp could be sooo white.

So how does it look like?

It's too gross to post here. But I can show you when we get to meet up. =)