Hypnotherapy and Alopecia Areata

Thursday, February 19, 2009 by: Steve G. Jones, Ed.S.
Tags: hypnotherapy, health news, Natural News

(NewsTarget) There are many maladies that can affect a person`s hair. The use of hair care products and blow dryers leaves people with dull, dry hair, begging for hydration, but there are a select few who suffer from hair problems that go beyond a few split ends. A study was conducted in the International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis about the effects of hypnosis in the treatment of Alopecia Areata and the results were proven to be positive.

One of a person`s most beautiful qualities, man or woman, is a thick head of hair. The media certainly plays it up with an influx of hair care product commercials all promising healthy, shiny hair. It`s definitely undeniable that a full head of hair, as well as many other traits, factors into the general appeal of the opposite sex.

Alopecia Areata is defined as a condition in which stress causes moderate to severe patches of hair loss on the scalp. Another form of Alopecia, known as Alopecia Universallis, is when complete hair loss affects the sufferer rendering them completely bald with the same side effects as those patients going through chemotherapy treatment for cancer. A study was performed to test the effects of hypnosis therapy on those suffering from Alopecia.

Subjects for this study included 28 people with severe Alopecia Areata for whom traditional treatment was ineffective. Twelve of the 21 participants showed significant improvement. This included 4 participants who had complete hair loss. Along with hypnosis therapy for hair re-growth, the participants were given therapy to help reduce stress. Details of exactly what procedures of hypnosis therapy were utilized were not divulged. Because Alopecia Areata is said to be caused by an elevated level of stress, exercises to reduce stress would have been beneficiary as well. All subjects who showed a significant improvement also noted a change in their stress level, anxiety, and a decreased level of depression.

The end result of this study showed that not only is hypnotherapy beneficial for those suffering from hair loss, but it can even improve the patients` conditions both physically and mentally.

Many people can identify that an increased level of stress can cause a higher chance of experiencing hair loss. For those suffering from Alopecia Areata, not only is the cause due to stress, but so are the side effects. Other than a physical discomfort, Alopecia Areata doesn`t affect any other parts of a person`s health, but the physical discomfort in a society obsessed with beauty is enough to cause even more severe distress. It`s a vicious circle that, for some, may never truly be healed with traditional medicine. This is where hypnotherapy comes in. Hypnotherapy is a holistic form of medicine that has been proven to show great improvements to a person`s health both from the inside and out.

Source:
Willemsen, R., & Vanderlinden, J. (2008, July). Hypnotic approaches for alopecia areata. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, 56(3), 318-333. Retrieved January 22, 2009, doi:10.1080/00207140802041942

About the author

Steve G. Jones, Ed.S. has been practicing hypnotherapy since the 1980s. He is the author of 22 books on Hypnotherapy. Steve is a member of the National Guild of Hypnotists, American Board of Hypnotherapy, president of the American Alliance of Hypnotists, on the board of directors of the Los Angeles chapter of the American Lung Association, and director of the Steve G. Jones School of Clinical Hypnotherapy.
Steve G. Jones, Ed.S. is a board certified Clinical Hypnotherapist. He has a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Florida (1994), a master's degree in education from Armstrong Atlantic State University (2007), and is currently working on a doctorate in education, Ed.D., at Georgia Southern University. Learn more at:
http://www.betterlivingwithhypnosis.com/