ALOPECIA AREATA: STRESS AND HYPNOSIS

Alopecia areata, an autoimmune hair disease leading to baldness, can be triggered by stress. Recent research data clearly clarified step-by-step the mechanisms linking stress to dermatological diseases. Autoimmune and inflammatory disorders including alopecia areata, provide even unique opportunities to examine the rich interplay between the immune system and the brain, not to mention the relevance of these interactions to health and illness in a broader field of medicine. Moreover, recent research confirms the mediating role of attachment disorders and enlightens the role of early traumatic life events in patients with various medical conditions. This book describes our research on the role of early life events in patients with alopecia areata, while the link between alopecia areata, childhood traumata and the personality construct "alexithymia" is further explored. The second part describes the authors’ unique experience on how to use ‘a manualised hypnotic approach’ in the treatment of patients with moderate to major forms of alopecia areata aiming not only to tackle the hair loss but especially improving psychological well being and life quality.