Alopecia universalis
Encyclopedia
Alopecia universalis or alopecia areata universalis is a medical condition involving rapid loss of all hair, including eyebrow
s and eyelash
es. It is the most severe form of alopecia areata
, with an incidence
of .001% (1 in 100,000).
.
Alopecia universalis may be acute and short-lived or remain permanently. Regrowth is always a possibility, even for those with 100% hair loss over many years. However, it is not possible to predict when regrowth will occur.
Eyebrow
The eyebrow is an area of thick, delicate hairs above the eye that follows the shape of the lower margin of the brow ridges of some mammals. Their main function is to prevent sweat, water, and other debris from falling down into the eye socket, but they are also important to human communication and...
s and eyelash
Eyelash
An eyelash or simply lash is one of the hairs that grow at the edge of the eyelid. Eyelashes protect the eye from debris and perform some of the same function as whiskers do on a cat or a mouse in the sense that they are sensitive to being touched, thus providing a warning that an object is near...
es. It is the most severe form of alopecia areata
Alopecia areata
Alopecia areata is a medical condition in which hair is lost from some or all areas of the body, usually from the scalp. Because it causes bald spots on the scalp, especially in the first stages, it is sometimes called spot baldness. In 1–2% of cases, the condition can spread to the entire scalp ...
, with an incidence
Incidence (epidemiology)
Incidence is a measure of the risk of developing some new condition within a specified period of time. Although sometimes loosely expressed simply as the number of new cases during some time period, it is better expressed as a proportion or a rate with a denominator.Incidence proportion is the...
of .001% (1 in 100,000).
Causes
Alopecia universalis can occur at any age, and is currently believed to be an autoimmune disorder.Treatment
There is no standard treatment for alopecia universalis. Many treatments have been explored, including immunomodulatory agents such as imiquimodImiquimod
Imiquimod is a prescription medication that acts as an immune response modifier. It is marketed by Meda AB, Graceway Pharmaceuticals and iNova Pharmaceuticals under the trade names Aldara and Zyclara, and by Mochida as Beselna. It is also referred to as R-837.- History :The original FDA approval...
.
Alopecia universalis may be acute and short-lived or remain permanently. Regrowth is always a possibility, even for those with 100% hair loss over many years. However, it is not possible to predict when regrowth will occur.
Notable people with alopecia universalis
- Edith Bouvier BealeEdith Bouvier BealeEdith Bouvier Beale was an American socialite, fashion model and cabaret performer. She was a first cousin of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Lee Radziwill...
, Jacqueline Kennedy OnassisJacqueline Kennedy OnassisJacqueline Lee Bouvier "Jackie" Kennedy Onassis was the wife of the 35th President of the United States, John F. Kennedy, and served as First Lady of the United States during his presidency from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. Five years later she married Greek shipping magnate Aristotle...
' relative depicted in the Grey GardensGrey GardensGrey Gardens is a 1975 documentary film by Albert and David Maysles, with Susan Froemke, Ellen Hovde, and Muffie Meyer. The film depicts the everyday lives of two reclusive socialites, a mother and daughter both named Edith Beale, who lived at Grey Gardens, a decrepit mansion at 3 West End Road in...
saga - Dean CantoDean CantoDean Justin Canto is a multiple-championship winning Australian motor racing driver. Best noted as a V8 Supercar driver, Canto was the inaugural winner of the second-tier V8 Supercar development series in 2000, and the first to become a multiple-champion five years later...
, Australian Racing Driver - Gustavo ChacínGustavo ChacínGustavo Adolfo Chacín is a Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball.-Toronto Blue Jays:In 2004, Chacín led all minor leaguers with 18 wins, and was the 24th pitcher used by the Blue Jays, tying the team record set in the 2002 season...
, a professional baseball pitcher - Pierluigi CollinaPierluigi CollinaPierluigi Collina is a former Italian football referee. He is still involved in football as non-paid consultant to the Italian Football Referees Association , and is a member of the UEFA Referees Committee...
, Italian Association Football referee - Nate CornejoNate CornejoNathan John Cornejo is a former professional baseball player who was a pitcher in the major leagues from -. Nate Cornejo was drafted in the first round of the 1998 MLB draft by the Detroit Tigers, number 34 overall...
, a former professional baseball pitcher - David FerrieDavid FerrieDavid William Ferrie was a pilot who was alleged to have been involved in a conspiracy to assassinate President John F. Kennedy. New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison later claimed to have proven Ferrie's involvement and that he knew Lee Harvey Oswald. Ferrie denied such involvement.-Early...
, a CIA operative during the Cuban Missile CrisisCuban Missile CrisisThe Cuban Missile Crisis was a confrontation among the Soviet Union, Cuba and the United States in October 1962, during the Cold War...
, trained pilot, private investigator, and also served with Lee Harvey Oswald in Civil Air Patrol. - Duncan GoodhewDuncan GoodhewDuncan Alexander Goodhew MBE is a British swimming athlete. After swimming competitively in America as a collegian at North Carolina State University, he was an Olympic swimmer for Great Britain and won Olympic gold and bronze medals at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow.-Biography:Goodhew...
, a former Olympic swimmer - Art HarrisArt HarrisArthur Carlos Harris, Jr. was an American professional basketball player.After graduating from Jordan High School, in Watts, Los Angeles, Harris went on to become one of Stanford University's best players. The 6'4" guard received All Pac 8 honors as a sophomore and averaged 20.7 ppg as a senior...
, a journalist best known for his work as a CNNCNNCable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
assignment reporter - Tómas LemarquisTómas LemarquisTómas Lemarquis is an Icelandic actor. He possibly best recalled for his appearance in the 2003 Icelandic film Nói Albínói.Lemarquis is the son of French actor Gérard Lemarquis and an Icelandic mother...
, Icelandic actor - Matt LucasMatt LucasMatthew Richard "Matt" Lucas is an English comedian, screenwriter and actor best known for his acclaimed work with David Walliams in the television show Little Britain; as well as for his portrayals of the scorekeeping baby George Dawes in the comedy panel game Shooting Stars, Tweedledee and...
, an actor appearing in the Little BritainLittle BritainLittle Britain is a British character-based comedy sketch show which was first broadcast on BBC radio and then turned into a television show. It was written by comic duo David Walliams and Matt Lucas...
TV series - Dave McPherson (musician)Dave McPherson (musician)David Alexander John "Dave" McPherson is a rock musician and solo acoustic artist from Brentwood, Essex...
, the lead singer and guitarist for the British rock band InMeInMeInMe are an English alternative metal band from Brentwood, Essex, who were formed in 1996. To date they have released four studio albums – Overgrown Eden ; White Butterfly ; Daydream Anonymous and Herald Moth and a greatest hits compilation album, Phoenix: The Very Best of InMe... - John D. RockefellerJohn D. RockefellerJohn Davison Rockefeller was an American oil industrialist, investor, and philanthropist. He was the founder of the Standard Oil Company, which dominated the oil industry and was the first great U.S. business trust. Rockefeller revolutionized the petroleum industry and defined the structure of...
, businessman and Standard Oil Magnate. - Jonjo ShelveyJonjo ShelveyJonjo Shelvey is an English footballer who plays for Liverpool. A midfielder, he has represented and also captained England at U19 level. Previously he played for , for whom he was the youngest-ever first-team player, appearing at the age of 16 years and 59 days...
, English footballer - Daniel Spils, keyboardist for Seattle-based musical group MaktubMaktubMaktub is a Seattle, Washington-based music group formed in the late 1990s that combines elements of hip-hop, rhythm and blues, soul, and funk, with a sprinkling of jazz and rock.-History:...
- Staciana Stitts-WinfieldStaciana StittsStaciana Stitts Winfield is a breaststroke swimmer from the United States. She is a 2000 Summer Olympics and 1999 Pan American Games gold medalist, and 1998 Goodwill Games silver medalist...
who won the gold medal in the 100m breaststroke at the 1999 Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Manitoba. She was also a member of the USA national team at the 1998 Goodwill Games in New York, placing second in the 100m breast and was on the gold medal winning 400 medley relay (breaststroke leg). - Charlie VillanuevaCharlie VillanuevaCharlie Alexander Villanueva is an American basketball player who currently plays for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association....
, a professional basketball player currently playing for the NBA's Detroit PistonsDetroit PistonsThe Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
.
Notable fictional characters with alopecia universalis
- Stan Sitwell, a character on the sitcom Arrested Development
- The JudgeJudge HoldenJudge Holden is purportedly a historical person, a murderer who partnered with John Joel Glanton as a professional scalphunter in the mid-19th century. To date, the only source for Holden's existence is Samuel Chamberlain's My Confession, an autobiographical account which has been criticized as...
, a character in Cormac McCarthyCormac McCarthyCormac McCarthy is an American novelist and playwright. He has written ten novels, spanning the Southern Gothic, Western, and modernist genres. He received the Pulitzer Prize and the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for Fiction for The Road...
's novel Blood Meridian. However, this is not stated explicitly, but is implied. - Thomas Greene, the diabolical anti-hero in The Bends by English author Darren Smith.
- In the film The Darjeeling LimitedThe Darjeeling LimitedThe Darjeeling Limited is a 2007 comedy-drama film directed by Wes Anderson, and starring Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody, and Jason Schwartzman. It was written by Anderson, Schwartzman, and Roman Coppola...
(2007) , Brendan, an assistant to Owen WilsonOwen WilsonOwen Cunningham Wilson is an American actor and writer, known for his roles in the films The Haunting, The Royal Tenenbaums, Zoolander, Meet the Parents, Wedding Crashers, You, Me and Dupree, Bottle Rocket, the Cars series, The Darjeeling Limited, Marley & Me, Midnight in Paris, Shanghai Noon,...
's character, states that he has alopecia, and is quite sensitive about the fact. - "Sluggsy," one of the two thugs in Ian FlemingIan FlemingIan Lancaster Fleming was a British author, journalist and Naval Intelligence Officer.Fleming is best known for creating the fictional British spy James Bond and for a series of twelve novels and nine short stories about the character, one of the biggest-selling series of fictional books of...
's James BondJames BondJames Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
novel The Spy Who Loved Me. - The Observer in the U.S. TV drama FringeFringe (TV series)Fringe is an American science fiction television series created by J. J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. The series follows a Federal Bureau of Investigation "Fringe Division" team based in Boston, Massachusetts under the supervision of Homeland Security...