Tag: frontal fibrosing alopecia

Don’t Say Wig

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Some of the most popular questions that we receive are about insurance coverage. First, insurance coverage answers may vary from company to company, and the amount of coverage also can vary. The insured patient should have a benefit booklet, and details should be outlined under prosthetic devices. You may call your company direct, but do not say the word “wig” as it can have several meanings. Most importantly, it implies that it is cosmetic in nature. Hair loss stops being a cosmetic problem and becomes a medical issue when it interferes with your life. If a person does not want to go out because of hair loss then it directly interferes with their quality of life.

When speaking to your insurance company, you should say: “I am going to get a full, cranial hair prosthesis, and I have a prescription from my physician. Does my insurance policy cover it?”

As a patient, you will need a prescription from your doctor. It must be written for a full, cranial prosthesis on a standard prescription form. You will also need a paid receipt from the place of purchase.

Keep a copy of your prescription and a paid bill for tax purposes. Sales tax is not charged in most states for a medical prosthesis. Check with your accountant – there is a possibility for a full, cranial prosthesis to be written off (if a person itemizes deductions). When you file, do not include head ware or hats even if you wear them for the same reason.

Finally, if you lose your hair for medical reasons, it can no longer be considered a cosmetic issue.

Thinning hair and/or total hair loss| Alternative Hair Solutions

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pdfimg10Thinning hair and/or total hair loss (or more formally known as, alopecia) can occur for many reasons. It can affect just your scalp or your entire body from conditions like trichotillomania, when someone pulls and tugs on their hair creating small patches of scalp consciously or unconsciously, which can lead to partial or total hair loss. It’s more common among teens and college students, especially when they are experiencing pressure from school or social interactions.

A zinc deficiency can lead to a direct result of  thinning hair. It’s often associated with hypothyroidism, which is an overlooked cause of alopecia. Thyroid hormones are essential for the body to absorb zinc. It can also be found in foods like cashews, pumpkin seeds, chick peas and spinach, but sometimes it’s necessary to use supplements.

Other key factors that lead to thinning hair and/or total hair loss include heredity, hormonal changes, medical conditions, medications, or stress; any of those can lead to hair loss or the more formal name alopecia.

Today, stress levels are at an all-time high. Finding better ways to release stress can be helpful.  For example, a good book, exercising, a great massage, a sport, or a hobby is a step in the right direction. Good nutrition is also an important asset for your total body.

For many of us, we don’t even realize when we are internalizing stress. As women, we can be calm, cool, and collected on the outside, but our insides can be a tangled web of emotions that ultimately surface through disease, hair loss, or depression.

Thinning hair and/or total hair loss does not discriminate, regardless of age or gender. There are many different types of alopecia. The usual suspects that can add to your risk factor are family history, age, poor nutrition, stress, or certain medical conditions such as lupus, diabetes, and cancer.

We can control some of the risks of thinning hair and/or total hair loss, but of course, there are several that we cannot. Learning the options that are available to you can provide a source of relief immediately.

For thinning hair, many times a simple clip-on hair piece is all that’s needed. There is also non-surgical bonding for areas of semi-permanent or permanent total hair loss. Wigs either synthetic or human hair are yet another option. Some women choose to just wear a scarf or trendy hat.

Thinning hair and/or total hair loss can either be temporary or permanent; therefore, it’s important to see your doctor as soon as you begin noticing a change in your normal hair, or are experiencing unusually high levels of stress.

Feel free to book a complimentary consultation with us to learn the options available for you or a loved one.  Call 203 987 5948 ext 1 or visit www.althairsolutions.com to learn more.

Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia | Alternative Hair Solutions

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476933395One of the many forms of female hair loss is frontal fibrosing alopecia. Typically impacting post-menopausal women, frontal fibrosing alopecia is characterized by a symmetrical band of hair loss along the front of the scalp, often extending down to eyebrows, leaving a few lonely hairs in the bald area. The remaining skin can vary from pale to shiny to scarred, often with redness around the visible hair follicles.

While hair loss is a difficult topic for many people, frontal fibrosing alopecia is often extra difficult, due in part to the fact that it is clearly visible in the front of the scalp rather than diffuse thinning associated with female pattern baldness. It’s further complicated by the fact that the exact cause is unknown – it’s believed to be hormonal (as evidenced by its onset post menopause), but it is generally considered slowly progressive: there is no effective cure, and even treatment efficacy varies significantly.

If you’re experiencing hair loss along the front edge of your scalp, or you have other reason to believe you’re effected by frontal fibrosing alopecia, contact a doctor. In some cases, a short course of oral steroids or anti-inflammatory antibiotics has shown to benefit patients. However, it’s generally believed that frontal fibrosing alopecia causes permanent damage to the follicles, and that hair regrowth is unlikely.

Given that the most effective treatments are only occasionally able to stop the hair loss, but not restore lost hair, many patients generally consider disguising the effect with wigs, which can restore the appearance of the natural hairline. Experienced wig providers such as Alternative Hair Solutions can assist with fitting a natural looking wig that is light and designed not to irritate the already sensitive scalp – in fact, in the case of frontal fibrosing alopecia, a top fitting piece can be fitted away from the impacted areas, allowing the hair to flow over and disguise the frontal scalp without irritating it with direct contact.

For more information, or a complimentary consultation, please contact us.

For more information on Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia contact us at (203) 987-5948 or visit our website at http://althairsolutions.com/