March 30, 2006 – Hypnotherapy could promote hair regrowth in patients with alopecia areata, according to the results of a trial conducted by four Belgian researchers1.
Alopecia areata, also called alopecia in patches, is characterized by a loss of hair or hair well circumscribed, often on a rounded area, in the hairy regions of the body, in particular the scalp and the face. Seizures are strongly linked to stress and psychological distress.
The study’s authors report that symptoms of anxiety and depression were significantly improved in all subjects. Significant hair regrowth was observed in twelve of the twenty-one patients after three to eight sessions. In nine of them, hair regrowth was complete, a rare occurrence in cases of advanced alopecia areata.
For the past five years, researchers have been experimenting with a hypnotherapeutic approach with patients suffering from this condition for which conventional medicine offers relatively few treatments. Those that are commonly used are often relatively effective, especially since some patients are allergic to them.
The technique consists of inducing relaxation and a hypnotic state by suggestion. The practitioner then guides the patient through a visualization session during which various metaphors or imaginary situations are evoked. The patient is invited to imagine that these images act on the regrowth of his hair. The hypnotist also works on the subjects’ self-esteem, which is generally damaged by the unsightly appearance caused by the disease in people with severe illness.
The researchers conclude that, although it is not known by what mechanism hypnosis could promote hair regrowth, these preliminary results warrant further clinical trials.
The results of this study were published in the journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
Pierre Lefrançois – PasseportSanté.net
1. Willemsen R, Vanderlinden J, Deconinck A, Roseeuw D. Hypnotherapeutic management of alopecia areata, J Am Acad Dermatol, 10.1016 / j.jaad.2005.09.025. (not listed in MedLine).
