September is Alopecia Awareness Month

September is Alopecia Awareness Month, and we want to take a moment to shine a little light on this condition that touches so many lives.

Alopecia is an autoimmune disease where the body mistakenly attacks its own hair follicles, leading to hair loss on the scalp, face, or even the entire body. It doesn’t discriminate — it can affect men, women, and children of any age or background.

- Roughly 6.8 million people in the U.S. are living with alopecia areata.
- There are different forms: alopecia areata (patchy loss), alopecia totalis (loss of all scalp hair), and alopecia universalis (loss of all hair across the body).
- Alopecia is not contagious, and it has nothing to do with poor hygiene.
- For many, hair regrowth can come and go in unpredictable cycles — which makes the emotional side of this condition especially tough.

What we’ve learned most from listening to our patients is that alopecia is about more than the mirror. It’s about confidence, courage, and resilience. Hair is so tied to identity, and when it disappears, the feelings of vulnerability can be heavy. But there’s also a deep strength in every story of someone walking this journey.

Treatment today looks different than it did even a few years ago. Dermatology has made exciting strides, especially with new medications that specifically target the immune system’s role in alopecia:
- JAK inhibitors (like Olumiant [baricitinib], Litfulo [ritlecitinib], and Cibinqo [abrocitinib]) have been FDA-approved for certain cases of severe alopecia areata.
- Topical therapies (like corticosteroids or minoxidil) can sometimes encourage regrowth in milder cases.
- Other treatments may include steroid injections, oral medications, or light therapy — depending on the type and severity.

The bottom line? There is hope, and there are options — and the most important step is sitting down with a dermatologist to explore what’s right for you.

If you or someone you love is living with alopecia, please know: you are not alone. 

Awareness months like this are here to remind us to educate, to show compassion, and to celebrate the bravery of those who live with visible differences every day.