Cicatricial Alopecia (also known as Scarring Alopecia)

Welcome to the C.A.R.F. website, where we hope you will learn about the latest information and resources concerning cicatricial alopecia.

Cicatricial (scarring) alopecia refers to a group of rare disorders which destroy the hair follicle and replace it with scar tissue, thereby causing permanent hair loss. It occurs worldwide in otherwise healthy men and women of all ages.

In just five years, CARF has grown from a group of seven patients to include more than 750 patients who have received information through our patient support and educational work - newsletters, support groups, conferences, and website. In addition, CARF-funded research is leading the effort to find the cause and cure or prevention of cicatricial alopecia.

New Support Group for New England Patients!

photo of the Cary Memorial Library in Lexington
The Cary Memorial Library in Lexington, MA.

CARF's Boston patient support group serves as a forum for patients to share insights in a supportive, safe and comfortable setting. The group's next meeting is scheduled for Sunday, April 25, 2010 from 2:30 PM - 4:30 PM in the Large Meeting Room at The Cary Memorial Library; located at 1874 Mass Ave in Lexington.

We hope that through the exchange of information, participants will find emotional, medical and cosmetic support for living with cicatricial alopecia.

If you have any questions, suggestions for topics, or want to attend to a future meeting, please email:
bostonsupportgroup@carfintl.org

The Cary Memorial Library in Lexington provides a free, well-lit parking lot. Directions are available on the library's website.

Screen Our Short Documentary

We are proud to present the Zamacona Productions short documentary, "Cicatricial Alopecia." This eight-minute presentation was produced to serve individuals with cicatricial alopecia, the medical community and the general public. It includes actual documentation by patients and offers current medical information and important references that furnish a better understanding of these disorders. The short also gives hope that one day there will be a cure and better treatments for this poorly understood group of diseases.

About C.A.R.F.

The Cicatricial Alopecia Research Foundation (C.A.R.F.) was formed as a result of one person's experience with scarring alopecia (cicatricial means scarring). When the patient realized that little is known about such disorders, she decided, with the help of her doctor, to initiate a grass roots effort to raise funds to study these problems.

C.A.R.F. began raising money with the following mission in mind:

to provide funds for research to find effective treatments and a cure
to support education and advocacy
to raise public awareness

C.A.R.F. funds are available to support research that will enhance our knowledge about this difficult group of diseases. Please see our grants page for more information.

This website has been created to provide information about the cicatricial alopecias for patients and their families, physicians, as well as the public.