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Hair Loss Glossary

Acupuncture--a traditional Chinese system of healing in which symptoms are relieved by inserting needles beneath the skin at selected points and then stimulating the points by rotating the needles or exposing them to heat or electrical current.

Addison's disease--a condition that occurs when the adrenal glands (a pair of glands situated on top of the kidneys) fail to secrete enough corticosteroid hormones. Without treatment, the disease can be fatal.

Alopecia areata--an autoimmune, often reversible disease in which loss of hair occurs in sharply defined areas usually involving the scalp or beard, but at times every hair on the body.

Alopecia areata totalis--a form of alopecia areata characterized by the total loss of hair from the scalp and face.

Alopecia areata universalis--a form of alopecia areata in which all hair on the scalp, face, and body is lost.

Aroma therapy--the therapeutic use of essential oils (highly concentrated aromatic extracts distilled from a variety of aromatic plant materials including grasses, leaves, flowers, needles and twigs, fruit peels, wood, and roots) to promote the health of body, mind, and spirit.

Autoimmune disease--a disease that results when the immune system mistakenly attacks the body's own tissues. Rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus are autoimmune diseases ("auto" means self).

Chemotherapy--the use of strong drugs to suppress the immune system. Though originally associated with cancer treatment, chemotherapy is used for many different diseases involving the immune system.

Corticosteroids--potent anti-inflammatory hormones that are made naturally in the body or synthetically (man-made) for use as drugs. They are also called glucocorticoids. The most commonly prescribed drug of this type is prednisone.

Cyclosporine--a strong drug that suppresses the immune system. Originally developed to keep the body's immune system from rejecting transplanted organs, cyclosporine is being used increasingly in autoimmune diseases, including (in rare cases) alopecia areata.

Diabetes--a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin, a hormone that is necessary to convert sugar, starches, and other food into energy.

Evening primrose oil--the oil of a weedy plant containing the essential fatty acid gamma linolenic acid (GLA), which is converted into anti-inflammatory agents by the body. Evening primrose oil is available as a nutritional supplement and touted as a pain and inflammation reliever.

Hair bulb--a bulbous collection of actively growing cells at the base of the follicle that constantly produces a strand of hair.

Hair follicle--a small cup-shaped structure in the skin from which hair grows. The cup is lined with cells and connective tissue.

Immune system--a complex network of specialized cells and organs that work together to defend the body against attacks by "foreign" invaders such as bacteria and viruses. In some rheumatic conditions, it appears that the immune system does not function properly and may even work against the body.

Liposome--a synthetic microscopic globule made of fatty layers encapsulating drugs or other substances. Liposomes are often used to deliver substances to the body's cells and tissues.

Pernicious anemia--a potentially dangerous form of anemia, usually caused by an autoimmune process, which results in a deficiency of vitamin B-12.

Rheumatoid arthritis--an autoimmune disease that targets primarily the membrane lining the joints, leading to pain, stiffness, swelling, and joint deformity.

Systemic lupus erythematosus--a chronic autoimmune disease of the connective tissue that can attack and damage the skin, joints, blood vessels, and internal organs.

Topical sensitizers--medications that, when applied to the scalp, provoke an allergic reaction that leads to itching, scaling, and often hair growth. They include squaric acid dibutyl ester and diphenylcyclopropenone.