The Lived Experience of Women with Alopecia: A Qualitative Study Investigating the Psychological, Social and Emotional Impact of Alopecia in a Sample of Greek Women

Abstract

Background: Alopecia is the most frequent cause of hair loss, burdening the patient's psychology through the aesthetic appearance and quality of life. Aims: The present research attempted to investigate the changes in the socio-emotional world of women with alopecia and their adaptation to all aspects of everyday life. Methods: A thematic qualitative analysis (with semi-structured interviews) was performed on 10 women with alopecia without any other underlying disease. The aim of the study is to record the experiential experience of each participant in order to enrich the literature on the quality of life of women with alopecia. Results: The overarching themes that emerged are four and include women's functioning and adaptability, environmental attitudes and expectations, women's attitudes towards treatment and, finally, the impact of the disease. Conclusion: In conclusion, although alopecia is not life-threatening, it seems to modify, at least initially, the way in which women re-adapt to their daily lives, to how they perceive social and partner relationships and themselves in terms of part of the work.