Alopecia Areata is the erratic hair loss disorder that affects around 2 % population of this world. Researchers are constantly working on the possible alopecia areata causes, diagnosis and treatment. Alopecia areata treatment has undergone a huge transition in the span of last 10 years. Several studies have been made on the disease resulting into the outcome of various facts. And the process is on in full swing.



What is Alopecia areata?

Alopecia areata causes hair loss from areas of the body, usually the scalp. It causes bald spots on the head especially in the first stage. And thus it has the nickname ?spot baldness?. In 1-2 % of cases the condition is found to be spreading to the entire scalp or epidermis (the outermost layer of the skin).

Alopecia areata affects only the growing hairs. Resting follicles escape the destruction. Therefore truncating the growth phase of hairs avoids the complete destruction of hair follicles. Often the alopecia areata causes the hair follicles to enter into a telogen resting state to avoid the worst effects of the disease. And this triggers significant shedding. The hair follicles usually stay in this resting state for prologner periods of time. If the hair follicles try to return to an anagen growth state the immune system retargets the hair follicles and forces them back into a resting state. The treatment of alopecia areata is partly based on this knowledge. The objective is to reduce the action of the immune cells on the hair follicles and also to promote the resting hair follicles back into new growth activity.

The various types of alopecia areata

Alopecia areata can be divided into the following types ?

?Alopecia areata monolocularis ? It causes baldness in only one spot in any part of the head.

?Alopecia areata multilocularis ? It reults into multiple area of hair loss.

?Alopecia areata totalis ? In this case the alopecia areata causes the loss of all the hair on the scalp.

?Alopecia areata universalis ? Its symptom is the loss of all body hair including public hair. The condition is called Alopecia areata barbae if it is limited only to the beard.

?Diffuse alopecia areata ? It happens when a psychological trauma causes a person to lose all his dark hairs. And leave him only with mixed grey and dark hairs.

Alopecia areata causes

Alopecia areata treatment and diagnosis indicates that the disease contains autoimmunity, ie. failure to recognize its own constituent parts. It erroneously treats its hair follicles as foreign tissue. And results into suppression and stopping of hair growth.

Alopecia areata is not contagious. But it might be hereditary. It is because there have been few cases of babies being born with congenital (in born) alopecia areata.

The stress factor is still under study.

The available alopecia areata treatment options

The alopecia areata cure options can be divided into four different categories of widely accepted therapeutic modalities: ?

?Immune inhibitors such as steroids or Psoralen and UV-A light (PUVA)

?Topical sensitizers such as squaric acid dibutylester (SADBE) and diphenylcyclopropenone (DPCP)

?Non-specific irritants (Anthralin)

?Vasodilators such as Minoxidil hair treatment

An important thing is to be noted about the treatment goals of all these modules. They are directed at hair re-growth cosmetically acceptable to the patients. These treatments do not prevent hair loss.

The most widely available treatment options

The most widely available alopecia areata treatment options include the following ?

oTopical corticosteroids

oLocally injected corticosteroids or a combination therapy using minoxidil

oAnthralin

Factors like the duration and extent of the disease are considered while deciding the most appropriate treatment approach to take.

Corticosteroid creams or local injections are usually enough to treat small alopecia areata spots.

More extensive alopecia areata may require treatment with anthralin or other contact sensitizing agents. As of now, most dermatologists use a combination of corticosteroids or anthralin along with minoxidil.