Books about alopecia

Below are some reviews of books that we've found helpful. If you know of any more though, please do get in touch to send us your reviews and recommendations.

Alopecia: My Story

Author: Mandy Ross
Year of Publication: 2011

"Young people with alopecia often feel very alone. It is good to know that someone else shares your problem and understands. So we have put together this collection of true stories and photos of real people with alopecia, so you can read about how they coped with it. Most people with alopecia feel low about it sometimes. Some people feel upset about it all the time and think about it every day. Others manage to forget about it and get on with their lives. But the best thing is if you and your family can accept the alopecia as part of the way you are, just like the colour of your eyes or skin, or if you have freckles. Some of the people in this book have gone through bad times with their alopecia, and they have come through it. They inspired us and we hope they will inspire you."
Professor Celia Moss, Consultant Dermatologist,
Birmingham Children’s Hospital
Alopecia: My Story can be downloaded from the HeadzUp website.

Coping with Alopecia

Author: Nigel Hunt and Sue McHale
Year of Publication: 2004

Written by two psychologists, one of whom has alopecia, this book covers alopecia areata, totalis, universalis and androgenetic. It covers all aspects from the physical symptoms, causes and treatments, to the psychological impact and the possible effect on morale, relationships and work. It is a well researched work. Quite blunt at times but factual and with helpful, illustrative case studies. I found it very useful. It certainly covered all the areas of alopecia I was hoping to have explained, and dealt with them in an easy to understand non-technical way. Not for the faint-hearted, but if you can face having all the potential consequences described, it is a very honest book and a useful work of reference. Ideal for anyone wanting to find out all the basic information about alopecia.

Alopecia Areata, Understanding and Coping with Hair Loss

Author: Wendy Thompson, Jerry Shapiro
Year of Publication: 1996

This book is a good general all rounder for people with Alopecia Areata. It has sections for children and adults. It talks about coping, treatments and the latest research. It also has information on wigs and head coverings. Because it is an American book it focuses on the American organisation NAAF, and all things American such as claiming the cost of a wig from your insurance company instead of the NHS. Overall I found that this book was very useful and if you were to buy one book on alopecia I would suggest you buy this one. However because it was an American book some of it could be seen as irrelevant to people from other countries.

The Hair Loss Cure, How to Treat Alopecia and Thinning Hair

Author: Elizabeth Steel
Year of Publication: 1999

This book focuses on all types of hair loss such as Androgentic Alopecia and Alopecia Areata. It also has personal stories running throughout the book. It is not a cure to hair loss as the title may suggest but it does advise on treatments which may help. It also talks about wigs and head coverings. This book contains a fair amount of information and advice, however I was surprised to read that Elizabeth Steel thinks you have to wear a wig in order to get on with life and that men won't like you without hair.