What is Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia?

My best friend in high school had a mother with a hairline that started about a third of the way back from where most hairlines begin. As if that wasn’t challenging enough, her hair was also very fine. She tried everything to disguise it, from wearing different hairstyles to wearing wigs for special occasions. In all the years I knew her, I just thought she had an unusually high forehead! Little did I know she had something called Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia, or FFA. I wish I knew then what I know now. Perhaps I could have helped her.

I’ve received numerous calls from women complaining that their hairlines are moving backward. I’m not talking about those pesky little “baby hairs” in the front that never grow long or a slight receding hairline. And, I’m not taking about hair that might have fallen out from braids that were too tight or years of chemical abuse. That’s a topic for another time. We’re talking about areas of hair, sometimes a band of hair, that’s no longer there, or an area that has just a few lone hairs remaining. We’re talking about FFA.