الفهرس | Only 14 pages are availabe for public view |
Abstract Quality of life (QOL) is an emerging general parameter of patients’ well-being, which can be defined in various ways. QOL is a multifactorial concept consisting of individual perception of physical, psychological and social functioning. The World Health Organization (WHO) defined quality of life (QOL) as ‘‘the individuals’ perception of their position in life, in the context of the cultural and value systems in which they live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards and concerns’’. Androgenetic alopecia is the most common type of hair loss in men and women. This disorder represents a quantitative phenotype with an underlying genetic disposition. Women develop diffuse thinning over the mid-frontal scalp with relative sparing of the anterior hair line. The thinning is most easily seen when the hair is parted in the midline, and the exposed scalp may resemble a christmas tree. Examination of the scalp shows a widening of the central part with a diffuse reduction in hair density over the frontal scalp rather than baldness per se. Although these areas show the most marked reduction in hair density, there is usually some evidence of global reduction in hair density throughout the scalp. Hair plays a very significant role in gender identification and often acts as a fashion item, a reference of beauty and style. Hair loss may lead to feelings of loss of health and of senility, generating significant psychological stress that, in turn, may be associated with causing hair loss, thereby increasing the amount of telogen hair Although alopecia is not a life-threatening condition, it can impair QOL by negatively impacting on self-awareness. Loss of self-confidence, lowered self-esteem and heightened self-consciousness are common responses to hair loss, particularly for women. Furthermore, people with alopecia are more likely to have depression and anxiety. The present work aimed to assess how does quality of life is affected in female patients with androgenic alopecia? Two hundred female patients with AGA over the age of eighteen years were enrolled in this study. Each woman was asked to fill a questionnaire (a self-report questionnaire). The items of the questionnaire were taken from the Hair Specific Skindex-29. The results of this study showed that: In regards to QOL in patients with AGA, young age, hospital visits for AGA treatment, longer duration of AGA, severe AGA, experience in previous non-medical hair care, and being not satisfied with this non-medical care were determined to be strongly correlated with poorer QOL. Patients with previous experiences in non-medical hair care and hospital visits for AGA treatment tend to perceive their hair loss as worse. Furthermore, these findings demonstrate that patients’ QOL are strongly and reliably correlated with the patient’s perception of AGA. |