Marie Antoinette Syndrome: hair that seems to turn white

There is a belief that it is stress or fear that causes this; but it is only partly true.

Marie Antoinette, Queen of France during the French Revolution, a historical character as loved as she was repudiated, will undoubtedly go down in the annals of history as a woman tormented and misunderstood by both the people and her own husband. She was also blamed for the extreme poverty of her country and ended up facing the guillotine.

These last days of her life have given her name to a phenomenon known as the "Maria syndrome". a phenomenon known as Marie Antoinette SyndromeThis is a capillary alteration that we will talk about throughout this article and that may have its origin in the experience of highly stressful events.

What is Marie Antoinette syndrome?

Despite what many may think, Marie Antoinette syndrome has little to do with shoes, fashion or palace life, but refers to a sudden onset hair disease in which the person's hair turns completely white in a short period of time.

However, the main characteristic of this disorder is not that the colored hair turns white, but that the person suffers aRather, the person suffers a loss of colored hair, with only those fibers that are not pigmented remaining. Thus, technically it is not true that the hair turns white, although this visual effect is produced.

Although it is popularly known as Marie Antoinette syndrome, it is actually a condition known as alopecia areata for dark hair. for dark hair. Alopecia areata is a disease that causes Hair Loss in localized areas of the body. This disease does not affect only the scalp or facial hair, but these areas are the most affected by this type of alopecia.

The case of Marie Antoinette syndrome is considered a rare type of alopecia in which the condition a rare type of alopecia in which the condition maintains the gray or unpigmented hair, causing only those hairs that are not pigmented to fall out.causing only those hairs of the usual color to fall out. Although the exact causes are not known, it is theorized that a genetic factor together with the experience of periods of high stress may be the triggers of this rare disease.

The main consequence is that the person seems to have aged suddenly, since the disease develops in a very short time.

The case of Marie Antoinette

The origin of the name Marie Antoinette syndrome can be found in an old story that states that Marie Antoinette, wife of the monarch Louis XVI was a victim of it during the course of the French Revolution.

The story goes that Marie Antoinette suffered from this disease during the time she was awaiting execution. According to legends, when Marie Antoinette entered the Bastille prison her hair was completely dark and that days later, when she was released for execution, her hair had turned completely white.

It is not difficult to imagine that throughout her stay in the Bastille prison, expecting to find herself at any moment in front of the guillotine, Marie Antoinette would suffer from such high levels of anguish, fear and anxiety that her hair would fall out.

Although the emotional and psychological situation in which the person finds himself can exert a great influence on the appearance of the Marie Antoinette syndrome, the truth is that the origin of the disease lies in genetic factors.. Thus, despite the belief that this disorder is triggered by stress, mental states do not seem to play a major role in its development.

Finally, and as a curious fact, Marie Antoinette syndrome only refers to cases occurring in women. When this strange disease appears in the male sex, it is known as Thomas More syndrome.Thomas More syndrome, a writer of English origin who also suffered his illness while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London awaiting his execution.

What are the causes?

As mentioned above, the main causes of Marie Antoinette syndrome are organic, however the experience of high levels of anxiety and stress favor the development of the disease.

It is therefore a condition with a multifactorial origin, which means that there are several conditions that can influence its appearance. One of them is the genetic factor, in most cases a family history of this type of disease can be found.

On the other hand, it has been found that alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease. is an autoimmune disease. This means that it is the person's own organism that provokes the symptoms. The accumulation of a specific type of lymphocytes causes a stagnation in hair growth and leads to hair loss.

However, although it has not been possible to establish a direct and reliable relationship between Marie Antoinette syndrome and the emotional factors associated with it. The majority of experts support the hypothesis that high levels of distress and stress may facilitate the expression of the disease. the expression of the disease.

This hypothesis makes even more sense when we remember that there are many other hair conditions, such as dandruff or dermatitis, which are related to high periods of stress or very emotionally charged experiences.

Is there a treatment?

The incidence of this syndrome is extremely low, occurring in only 0.2 to 0.3% of the general population.. However, there are very effective treatments for Marie Antoinette syndrome, which remits in approximately 80% of cases.

Autoimmune diseases, including alopecia, can have different effects in different individuals. Therefore, the treatment of choice will depend on these effects. The extent of the lesions, as well as the length of time the disease has been manifesting itself, will be factors to be taken into account when developing an individualized intervention.

However, in In most cases, stabilization of the immune response is sought.The immune response is stabilized, which usually results in a complete and permanent recovery of the lost hair.