Alopecia Areata is a situation when the hairs fall in patches. However, these are not initially detected, but observed when it results in severe hair loss. Sudden loss of hair may take place from the scalp, eyelashes, eyebrows, face, and parts of the body.
This can lead to Alopecia Universalis, a disorder that results in total hair loss from the human body. It restrains hair to grow back again.
Symptoms of Alopecia
Hair loss is a major symptom of alopecia areata. Your hairs begin to fall from your scalp in patches. It can also result in hair loss from your eyebrows, eyelashes, and other parts of the body. Some people experience hair loss in a few parts while some from almost every part of the body.
You may see a bunch of your hairs on a pillow or while taking a shower.
Hair loss can also be caused by other similar or dissimilar health conditions. Therefore, hair loss is not merely, but the first symptom of Alopecia areata.
In odd cases, people suffer from severe hair loss, which specifies other types of Alopecia. These are mentioned as follows-
- Alopecia Totalis is a disorder, which causes the loss of all hairs from the scalp.
- Alopecia Universalis is a disorder, which causes the loss of all hairs from the body.
Causes of Alopecia
Alopecia areata is an autoimmune state. In a normal situation, the immune system prevents the body from foreign or unfamiliar cells like bacteria or viruses. If you are suffering from Alopecia areata, your immune system erroneously hit your hair follicles. Hair follicles are the sections from which hairs develop. When your immune system attacks the hair follicles, they become weak and small, and stop generating hairs, this leads to hair loss.
Researchers are not sure about any accurate cause of Alopecia areata. However, this condition is commonly found in people who have a family history of autoimmune state like Rheumatoid Arthritis or type 1 diabetes. This makes some scientists guess that genetics may put into the growth of Alopecia areata.
How Is Alopecia Diagnosed?
Your doctor may simply diagnose Alopecia by examining the amount of your hair loss, and by checking a few of your hair samples under a microscope.
Your doctor may also conduct a scalp biopsy to identify whether any infection is responsible for hair loss. The doctor pulls and plucks a small number of hairs from the scalp and examines the hair roots under a microscope.
A blood test can be performed, if your doctor believes you have other autoimmune conditions. The particular blood test carried out depends on the infection or disorder your doctor guesses. Your doctor probably tests for the existence of one or more anomalous antibodies. If these antibodies are found to be present in your blood, it indicates that you contain an autoimmune disorder.
What are the Possible Treatments for hair loss?
There is no successful treatment known for Alopecia areata. However, treatments can be taken to slow down hair loss and help hairs to grow in the future.
This is not certain that the medications would surely work. In some people, hair loss gets poor even with the treatments. Therefore, it can take a long time to find a medication that best works for you.
- Medical Treatments
Topical agents are massaged on the scalp or other parts like beard, and eyebrows to help excite hair growth.
- Minoxidil (Rograin) is applied on the scalp, beard, and eyebrows. It is available OTC and comparatively safe. However, it can take around 6 months to see a satisfying result.
- Anthralin (Dritho-Scalp) is a medication that frustrates the skin in a desire to stimulate the re-growth of hair.
- Corticosteroid creams like Clobetasol (Impoyz) ointments, foams, and lotions are used to reduce the tenderness of hair follicles.
- Topical immunotherapy is a method in which a chemical such as diphencyprone is treated on the skin to flicker an allergy rash. The rash is as poison oak can instigate the growth of new hairs within 6 months. You will have to continue using it to keep up the re-development of hairs.
- Injections
Steroids injections are commonly given to treat patchy Alopecia. It is injected in the exposed skin of the influenced area using tiny needles.
The treatment is repeated in one to two months to re-develop hairs. However, it does not assure that new hair loss will not take place.
- Oral Treatments
- Cortisone tablets are generally used for severe Alopecia. However, it has some side effects. Therefore, it is good to consult your doctor before consuming it.
- Oral immunosuppressants such as cyclosporine and methotrexate are other choices you can make. They block the immune system’s response. However, they cause risky side effects like high blood pressure, kidney, and liver problems, and accelerated risk of infections, so cannot be taken for a long period.
- Light therapy
This treatment uses a blend of UV light and an oral medication called psoralens. It is also referred to as phototherapy or photochemotherapy.
- Natural Therapies like acupuncture, aloe Vera drinks, rubbing of onion juice on scalp, scalp massage, coconut, castor, and olive oil massage on scalp and some more can be effective in the treatment of Alopecia.
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