Saint rita of cascia: Patron saint for women with frontal fibrosing alopecia ?

Ralph Michel Trueb, Maria Fernanda Reis Gavazzoni DiasInternational Journal of Trichology 2019 11(3):97-100 Roman Catholic tradition has made Saints the protectors of various aspects of life. Christian hagiography deals with the account of the Saints' lives and passion, and Christian iconography with the Saints' depiction in religious art. Catholic churches are full of images of Saints. Appreciation of religious art is deepened by knowledge of what is depicted. Saints are only sometimes labeled with their names. The clues to their identity are rather given in their appearance or in what they are holding. St. Rita of Cascia (1381–1457) is a Saint venerated in the Roman Catholic Church and bestowed the title of Patroness for impossible causes. Various miracles have been attributed to her. In Christian iconography, she is depicted with a bleeding forehead wound and sometimes holding a thorn. The forehead wound is understood to represent partial religious stigmatization and external sign of mystical union with Christ. In our opinion, it is at the same time reminiscent of the thorn frontal fibrosing alopecia represents to women affected with the condition, and its treatment with intralesional triamcinolone injections along the frontal hairline, much alike the forehead wounds caused by the crown of thorns. Few practices of the Catholic Church are so misunderstood as the devotion to patron Saints. Nevertheless, Saints help to find community and to...
Source: International Journal of Trichology - Category: Dermatology Authors: Source Type: research