Is Your Hair Thin? Are You Bald/Balding?
Learn How to Naturally REGROW Lost Hair
Alopecia also known as hair loss:
Usually affects the scalp. It is rarer and less conspicuous elsewhere
on the body. The hair follicle can generally regrow hair in the nonscarring
form of this disorder (non cicatricial alopecia). Scarring alopecia
usually destroys the hair follicle, making hair loss irreversible.
The most common form of nonscarring alopecia, male pattern alopecia, appears
to be related to androgen levels, aging, or genetic predisposition.
Physiologic alopecia: this form of disorder is usually temporary,
it occurs as a sudden hair loss in infants, loss of straight hairline in
adolescents, and diffuse hair loss after childbirth.
Alopecia areata: caused is unknown (idiopathic). Hair loss is
usually reversible and self limiting. It occurs most frequently in
young and middle – aged adults of both sexes.
Trichotillomania:: this refers to compulsive pulling out of one’s
own hair; it is most common in children.
Scarring alopecia may result from physical or chemical trauma or chronic
tension on a hair shaft, such as braiding or rolling the hair. Diseases
that produce scarring alopecia include destructive skin tumors, granuloma,
lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, follicular lichen planus, and severe
bacterial or viral infections, such as folliculitis or herpes simplex.
Symptoms:
In male pattern alopecia, hair loss is gradual and usually affects the
thinner, shorter, and less pigmented hairs of the scalp’s frontal and parietal
portions.
In women, hair loss is generally more diffuse; completely bald areas
are uncommon but may occur.
Alopecia areata affects small patches of the scalp but may also occur
as alopecia totalis, which involves the entire scalp, or as alopecia universalis,
which involves the entire body. Although mild erythema may occur
initially, affected areas of scalp or skin appear normal.
“Exclamation point: hairs occur at the periphery of new patches.
Regrowth initially appears as fine, white, downy hair, which is replaced
by normal hair.
In trichotillomania, patchy, incomplete areas of hair loss with many
broken hairs appear on the scalp but may occur on other areas, such as
the eyebrows.
Treatment:
Tropical application of minoxidil, a peripheral vasodilator more typically
used as an oral antihypertensive, has some success in treating male – patten
alopecia. (discuss this with your doctor)
Alternate treatment is surgical redistribution of hair follicles by
autografting.
In alopecia areata, minoxidil is more effective, although treatment
is often unnecessary because spontaneous regrowth is common. Intralesional
corticosteroid injections are beneficial for small patches and may produce
regrowth in 4 to 6 weeks. Hair loss that persists for over a year
has a poor prognosis for regrowth.
In trichotillomania, an occlusive dressing encourages normal hair growth
simply by preventing the cause of hair loss.
Treatment of other types of alopecia varies according to the underlying
cause