NAAF WEBINARS
Click on the link to find out about the next NAAF webinar Webinars | National Alopecia Areata Foundation (naaf.org)
Registration for NAAF webinars is free. (The webinars are 60 minutes long.)
Please note that the webinars and legislation refer to the USA and therefore the legislation does NOT apply to Ireland.
Genetics and Aloepcia Areata: What We Know
Alopecia areata is believed to have a strong genetic basis. Over the past 20 years, significant advances in genetic research have led to new discoveries and important new therapies. Join Dr. Leslie Castelo-Soccio as she provides an overview of the key findings so far, summarizes the genetic methods used in these studies, and discusses why there isn’t a single genetic test for alopecia areata. She will also explore the challenges that future research still needs to address.
Preparing for Back to School
We are pleased to inform you that the 2024 Alopecia Areata School Guide is now available. This comprehensive resource is the result of a collaborative effort involving a diverse group of volunteers who brought a wide array of skills, experiences, and perspectives to its creation. The guide aims to provide valuable support for individuals dealing with alopecia areata. Please note: the guide has helpful information but some of the options are available in the USA only
Novel developements in treating alopecia areata
Have you ever wondered how eczema, allergies, and inflammation might be linked to alopecia areata? Watch this insightful webinar with Drs. Emma Guttman and Benjamin Ungar as they discuss their significant research on alopecia areata and Type 2 inflammation, an inflammatory response linked to allergic conditions. They explain how this research has paved the way for a new clinical trial in children to investigate a potential treatment for alopecia areata.
Community panel discussion
Alopecia areata affects not only the individual with hair loss, but also their family members. Watching a loved one go through this disease can be emotionally challenging and may leave family members feeling helpless. However, there are multiple ways in which family members can support those affected by alopecia areata. In this video, you will learn from community members whose loved ones have been diagnosed with or affected by an alopecia areata diagnosis. Discover what others have found most helpful as they navigate life with alopecia.
Patient voices: alopecia areata clinical trial experiences
Have you wondered what it’s like to participate in a clinical trial? This webinar features a panel of alopecia areata community members talking about their clinical trial experiences. What factors influenced their decision to join a trial? What was participation like? How do they feel about contributing to alopecia areata treatment development?
Making alopecia areata work at work: My personal journey
Award winning career coach, best-selling author and 2023 NAAF Conference Opening Session Speaker- Joyel Crawford shares her personal journey of navigating alopecia areata in the workplace. Despite the challenges, she turned her diagnosis into an opportunity for growth and empowerment. Through this session, she discusses how she embraced her condition, adapted professionally, and thrived in her career.
Integrative medicine: What is it and how does it fit into alopecia areata treatment?
Integrative medicine aims to bring the best from both conventional and alternative medical approaches to better meet the needs of a patient. In this webinar, learn more about integrative medicine, including what we know and what’s still being explored in complementary and alternative methods for treating alopecia areata.
Dating with alopecia
Dating can be challenging for anyone. After an alopecia areata diagnosis, it is often scary and overwhelming. In this webinar, licensed psychotherapists, Alison Mann and Donna Astor-Lazarus, will discuss how to overcome common obstacles such as anxiety and negative body image; how to discuss alopecia, when to tell a date you wear wigs, and more!
What’s new in pediatric Alopecia Areata treatment?
In 2023, the FDA approved the first treatment for alopecia areata in adolescents. Pediatric dermatologist Brittany Craiglow, MD, will bring us up to date on alopecia areata in children and the current treatment landscape.
Note on clinical trials: Dr. Craiglow discussed clinical trial participation in her presentation. To learn more about clinical trials, visit NAAF’s Clinical Trials and Research Studies page or click the links below for specific trials:
Makeup Tips for Alopecia: Techniques for eyebrows, eyelashes, and more!
Many people with alopecia areata lose their eyelashes and eyebrows. If you are interested in learning makeup tips for creating the appearance of eyebrows and eyelashes, then this webinar is for you! Learn from a Chicago-based veteran makeup artist, Keya Trammell. Keya was diagnosed with alopecia totalis at the age of 2 and is now using her makeup skills to help the alopecia community feel confident and comfortable. Have your makeup pencils ready!
Men & Alopecia Areata: Our unique experiences
It’s time to talk about how alopecia areata affects men. Hear from a group of men to learn about some of the challenges they have faced living with this disease. This webinar will be moderated by NAAF Board member, Tyrone Folliard-Olson, and will be an honest discussion by panel members of experiences, struggles, and coping strategies – as well as answers to your questions.
Alopecia areata treatment updates and lessons learned from recent clinical trials
With a second FDA-approved treatment announced in 2023, there is new information to share on treatments for alopecia areata, how they work, and what we’ve learned about the disease from clinical trials. Dr. Brett King discusses these topics and answers your questions.
The connection between allergies, eczema, and alopecia areata in adults and children: Implications for new treatments
A large proportion of the patients who have alopecia areata also have allergic conditions like eczema, asthma, hay fever, and food allergies – among others. Or they may have close family members with similar conditions. This presentation will cover how alopecia areata and these allergic (or atopic) conditions can be related, and what this implies for treatment options.
Preparing for Back to School: Insights from a Teen & Young Adult Panel
Heading back to school is an exciting time, but for young people with alopecia areata, the thought of starting a new school year can be overwhelming and scary. Whether you’re headed into elementary, junior high, high school, or even college, it’s a time with lots of changes and challenges. NAAF’s Support & Education Director, Judy Williams, will join a group of young adults and teens who are living with alopecia areata to help answer all the questions you have about how they prepare for a new school year and how they survived their school years in the past.
Alopecia Areata 101
What’s the difference between alopecia areata and other types of hair loss? Join Dr. Amy McMichael, Professor of Dermatology at Wake Forest School of Medicine, as she answers some commonly asked questions and provides an overview of alopecia areata and the terms used to describe it. Some myths and facts about alopecia areata will also be covered.
What does it mean to be an advocate for alopecia areata? Join this webinar to hear from members of the alopecia areata community who have taken their advocacy to the next level! Dermatologist Kristen Lo Sicco, MD, along with founding members of the Alopecia Justice League and NAAF Legislative Advocates, Alison, Julie, and Lindsey, will talk about their advocacy work, key issues for the community, and the personal empowerment that comes from making a difference.
We received an overwhelming number of questions during our webinar, The Good, the Bad & the Itchy: Managing the Wig Process and Cosmetic Challenges in Alopecia Areata. This webinar answers more of your questions. If you missed the first session, tune in for new tips and techniques for wigs, eyebrows, and eyelashes.
Amy, Georgia, and Kathleen will address your questions and offer the inside scoop on what has really worked for them when it comes to wigs and cosmetics. Amy and Kathleen will also share their expertise on what has helped thousands of their clients.
Psychologist Lisa Lombard, PhD discusses the impact of alopecia areata on mental health. Dr. Lombard shares her expertise on navigating the emotions that come with a diagnosis of alopecia areata. Guided imagery and breathing exercises for stress management are also discussed.
When you're wearing hair pieces and drawing your own brows, it's so hard to feel and look like the "you" that everyone knows you as. It's even harder to ask for help to get it right. Amy Gibson, who has alopecia universalis, has spent 25 years helping fellow alopecia areata patients in choosing and managing the wig process along with the cosmetic challenges of hair loss. From picking your familiar style, the correct fit and the right colour, to understanding how to create the authenticity and discretion needed for peace of mind while on this journey. Eyebrows can be challenging to do on yourself, but Amy will share some great ways to make this process easier for you.
Have you read announcements for clinical trials but don’t quite understand what they mean? Do you want to feel comfortable advocating for yourself when discussing clinical trial options with your doctor? Join us to learn about drug development including how clinical trials are planned, the phases they go through, and the role that patients play in clinical trial conduct. We will cover questions to ask your doctor, things to consider when evaluating whether to participate in a trial, and how your participation could move alopecia areata treatments closer to FDA approval. Speaker Danielle Quarles will share her expertise in this area. This presentation will focus on clinical trials for adults.
Danielle Quarles, Director of Clinical Operations, Sana Biotechnology
Learn more about JAK inhibitors for the treatment of alopecia areata. Dr. Maryanne Senna will explain the warning labels on JAK inhibitors, where they come from, and what is known about the risks of JAK inhibitor therapy. She will also review proper laboratory testing and other monitoring for people undergoing treatment. The main objective of this talk is to provide information and data to help support educated and evidence-based treatment decision making for people with alopecia areata.
Alopecians are superheroes and Georgia Van Cuylenburg believes our young Alopecians are the Elite Squad! In this month’s webinar, we invite you to join a panel of young Alopecians in a safe and supportive space where we can talk about what it’s like to be a young person with alopecia areata - the good, not so good and the in between. Yes, this is an hour for our youngins but we invite parents and folks of all ages to join us in experiencing and celebrating our Elite Squad's tenacity, wisdom, and magic!
Supriya Surender shares her personal hair loss experience and how she navigated the insurance world to successfully receive reimbursement for her wigs. This NAAF webinar may help in the ongoing work around financial support for all with Alopecia. We can learn from the experiences of others and work towards a positive outcome.
The webinar and legislation refer to the USA and therefore the legislation does NOT apply to Ireland.
Pediatric dermatologist Britt Craiglow, MD, presents on alopecia areata in children, including current treatment options and navigating treatment conversations with healthcare providers.
The webinar and legislation refer to the USA and therefore the legislation does NOT apply to Ireland.
The complexities of health insurance coverage are often challenging to navigate. Dr. Arash Mostaghimi, Assistant Professor of Dermatology at Brigham & Women’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School will review the process of prior authorization and share best practices negotiating with insurance companies to improve timely access to treatments for alopecia areata.
The webinar and legislation refer to the USA and therefore the legislation does NOT apply to Ireland.
Barbara Truluck is a School Counselor at Palmer Middle School in Kennesaw, Georgia and has worked in education for 20 years. As a middle school counselor, she specializes her practice in the field of stress and anxiety management with an emphasis on teaching students stress coping skills to build resiliency. Ms. Truluck has earned specialist certifications in Leadership, Anxiety and Stress Management, and Bullying Prevention from the American School Counselor Association and is an ASIST Suicide Prevention Trainer.
Dr. Kristina Gorbatenko-Roth earned a Ph.D. in Counselling Psychology (University of Iowa, 1997) and is a licensed psychologist in Minnesota. She is a professor of psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Stout and an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Dermatology at the University of Minnesota. Her area of research and clinical practice is psychodermatology, the interface of health psychology and dermatology. She specializes in researching and treating the psychosocial outcomes of AA, for which she has received multiple research awards, grants, and fellowships/ professorships. Dr. Gorbatenko-Roth serves on the Board of Directors for the Association of Psychoneurocutaneous Medicine of North America and served as an informal consultant for NAAF.
Dr. Brett King, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Dermatology, Yale University School of Medicine presented this webinar on 13 July 2022, outlining how the advancements in our understanding of alopecia areata have led to new and emerging treatments, including the recent first-ever FDA-approved medicine for the disease.
In this webinar, Dr. Brett King discuses these treatments, how they work, and the results of clinical trials, in order to provide attendees with the most up-to-date information regarding these exciting developments.
As part of NAAF's "You Are Not Alone: Education and Empowerment" Webinar Series, this webinar presented on 9 June 2022, works through the notions of resilience, courage and confidence and identify practical tools to become resilient, practice courage and develop confidence so we can feel good in our own skin.
Join two members of the alopecia areata community, Shamsha Damani and Sofia Martinez, for this discussion.