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 crop up particularly on the area of the head and the total hair of this part is almost defected by the disease. Alopecia is the disease of human where man and women both suffers from baldness, it causes lot of stress and mental presure in patients suffering from this disorder.
Alopecia areata is a form of hair loss from areas of the body, usually from the scalp . Because it causes bald spots on the head, especially in the first stages, it is sometimes called spot baldness. In about 6 in 10 cases the first patch of hair loss develops before the age of 20 years. Alopecia areata is an unpredictable disease. In some people, hair grows back but falls out again later. In others, hair grows back and remains. Each case is unique. Even if someone loses all of his or her hair, there is a chance that it will grow back.
Causes of Alopecia:
The specific cause of alopecia areata is unknown. A family history of alopecia is present in about a fifth of all cases. Alopecia areata is occasionally associated with autoimmune diseases . --Normally the immune system protects the body against infection and disease. In an autoimmune disease, the body's immune system mistakenly attacks some part of your own body. In alopecia areata, the immune system attacks the hair follicles. For people whose genes put them at risk for the disease, some type of trigger starts the attack on the hair follicles. The triggers may be a virus or something in the person's environment.
Treatment of Alopecia:
1. Certain medications to promote hair growth (such as minoxidil and finasteride). 2. Treating any underlying condition or disease. 3. Corticosteroid injections (when treating alopecia areata). 4. Scalp reduction.
Outcome of Alopecia Areata
The progress of alopecia areata is unpredictable. Some patients lose hair in only a limited patch of the skin, while others may present with more extensive involvement. Alopecia totalis is the loss of 100% of scalp hair. Alopecia universalis is the loss of 100% of body hair. These last two conditions are extremely rare following alopecia areata. In the majority of patients, the hair will re-grow completely within 1 year without any treatment.
Treatment of this generally benign condition has to do mostly with patient goals and self consciousness of the disorder. Many patients can hide the patches of alopecia artistically with cosmetics or with restyling the hair to cover the bald area in scalp involvement.
Alopecia means loss of hair or hair loss or baldness. There are several different causes and patterns of alopecia. Alopecia areata is one type of hair loss. Alopecia is a type of virus and can be caused by stress. You can go to a dermatologist and he can help you with this problem. In about 6 in 10 cases the first patch of hair loss develops before the age of 20 years. Males and females are equally affected.
Alopecia areata itself won't damage your general health and so not treating will not lead to any general health problems. When deciding on whether to treat or not, you should take into account the possible side-effects that some of the treatments may have. Rarely, complete loss of scalp hair and body hair occurs. The hair loss often comes and goes?hair will grow back over several months in one area but will fall out in another area.
As for alopecia totalis or univesalis all the hair on the body would fall out including eyelashes and eyebrows and there are lots of treatment available like Topical steroid, Minoxidil solution, Steroid injections, Dithranol, etc but medical science is constantly changing. Cortisone injections in the affected areas of the scalp have been effective for me. However, this is a slow process. I am trying a new drug treatment, to no real results.
I would not advise the use of harsh chemicals such as color, perms or relaxers, especially since you have alopecia. This could cause even more hair loss than you are already experiencing.
There is more than one type of alopecia, some can be corrected with the right scalp treatment. You may want to have your family physician check yours and confirm that it is hereditary. Some can be caused from wearing tight ponytails or braids. Others may be due to medical issues, such as hormone imbalances, problems with the nervous system (the nervous system affects our blood flow), sometimes massaging the area to increase the blood flow will help to improve hair growth.
Contact immunotherapy may be the most effective treatment for severe alopecia areata. A medication is painted on the scalp once a week. Hair growth may appear within 3 months of beginning treatment. Wear hairpieces or hair weaves. Hairpieces are made from human or synthetic hair that is implanted into a nylon netting. Hairpieces may be attached to the scalp with glue, metal clips, or tape. Hair weaving involves sewing or braiding pieces of longer hair into existing hair.
The most common treatment for patchy hair loss is many injections of corticosteroids into the scalp, about 1 cm (0.4 in.) apart, every 4 to 6 weeks.
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