Designates September of each year as "Alopecia Areata Awareness Month."

SJR122

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION

No. 122

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED MARCH 12, 2026

Sponsored by:

Senator� ANGELA V. MCKNIGHT

District 31 (Hudson)

SYNOPSIS

���� Designates September of each year as �Alopecia Areata
Awareness Month.�

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

A Joint
Resolution

designating September of
each year as �Alopecia Areata Awareness Month.�

Whereas,

Alopecia areata is a common autoimmune skin disease, causing hair loss on the
scalp, face, and sometimes on other areas of the body; and

Whereas,

The disorder affects as many as 6.8 million people in the United States, with a
lifetime risk of 2.1 percent; and

Whereas,

People of all ages, both sexes, and all ethnic groups can develop alopecia
areata; and

Whereas,

Alopecia areata often first appears during childhood, and its symptoms can be
different for everyone who suffers from the disease; and

Whereas,

Scientists aren�t exactly sure what �triggers� the immune system to attack
healthy hair follicles when people have alopecia areata, or even if the
triggers first happen from a virus or bacteria, environmental factors, or a
combination of both; and

Whereas,

There are three types of alopecia areata: alopecia areata patchy � the most
common form, which causes the formation of one or more coin-sized hairless
patches on the scalp or other areas of the body; alopecia totalis � which
causes a total loss of the hair on the scalp; and alopecia universalis � which
causes complete loss of hair on the scalp, face, and body; and

Whereas,

Common symptoms of alopecia areata include: small, round or oval patches of
hair loss on the scalp, beard area of the face, or other areas of the body with
hair; hair loss and regrowth at the same time in different areas of the body;
significant hair loss in a very short period of time; hair loss that�s mostly
on one side of the scalp, instead of both sides; the growth of �exclamation
point� hairs that are narrow at the base or next to the scalp; and �stippling�
or �pitting,� the formation of rows of tiny dents on the fingernails; and

Whereas,

Currently, there is no cure for alopecia areata.� However, there are a variety
of treatment options available for disrupting or distracting the immune attack on,
and the stimulating of, the hair follicle, especially for those who have milder
forms of the disease, including medication, surgery, and laser therapy; and

Whereas,

It is in the public interest to educate New Jerseyans about alopecia areata in
order to enhance their understanding of the disease and their support for those
who suffer from it, and to encourage increased research and funding that will
improve treatment and help in the discovery of a cure for the disease; now,
therefore,

����
Be It
Resolved
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� The month of September in
each year is designated as �Alopecia Areata Awareness Month� in order to
enhance their understanding of the disease and their support for those who
suffer from it, and to encourage increased research and funding that will
improve treatment and help in the discovery of a cure for the disease.

���� 2.��� The Governor shall
annually issue a proclamation calling upon public officials, health care professionals,
and the citizens of this State to observe the month with appropriate activities
and programs designed to raise public awareness of this disease.

���� 3.��� This joint resolution
shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

���� This joint resolution
designates September of each year as �Alopecia Areata Awareness Month.�

���� The resolution directs the
Governor to annually issue a proclamation calling upon public officials, health
care professionals, and the citizens of this State to observe the month with
appropriate activities and programs designed to raise public awareness of this
disease.