Alopecia Areata
Alopecia areata results in the appearance of roughly circular bald patches on
the scalp. The skin in the affected area is smooth and soft and has no hair at
all. There is no disturbance of the skin (as in the case of skin disorders,
which may also cause temporary hair loss). Itching frequently precedes the hair
loss, and the patches not only affect the scalp hair, but eyebrows, eyelashes
and body hair can also be lost. Bald patches may appear on the arms and legs
and, in men, beard hair hay be lost.
An auto-immune disorder
The condition is a bit of a mystery - just why it happens is not fully
understood, although it can be caused by a sudden shock (which very rarely may
cause dramatic total hair loss). Alopecia areata can sometimes be linked to a
thyroid malfunction or to an untreated abscess on the tooth. It is now known to
be and auto-immune disorder, and there is commonly a hereditary factor. Research
has shown that in alopecia areata the hair follicles in the anagen growing phase
become a target for attack by auto-immune cells. Hair loss is sudden: sometimes
even overnight. The healthy hairs break off just above the surface of the scalp,
leaving hairs that look like little exclamation marks when viewed under a
microscope. Then these hairs fall out. There is no loss of the hair follicles
themselves; these simply fail to produce hair, either temporarily or, if the condition
is prolonged, permanently.
Alopecia areata may be no more than a few bald patches that appear and then
regrow hair. If the patches are small, the chances of regrowth are very good.
Sometimes it affects only the pigmented hair, so that white hair remain.
Since severe shock may cause dramatic hair loss, this may explain someone's
hair going white overnight - all the pigmented hairs asr lost, but not the white
ones. Often, when the hair grows back after alopecia areata, they are white to
begin with, but pigmented hairs then commonly replace them.
Diffuse alopecia areata leads to sudden thinning without the bald patches.
This condition is far less common than the bald patches described above.
'Alopecia totalis' is the term used when all the hair on the head is affected,
and 'alopecia universalis' when all the body hair is affected, too. When this
happens, the chances of regrowth are poor.
Alleviating the problem
There is no foolproof treatment for alopecia areata, because the cause is so
poorly understood. Stress seems to perpetuate the condition, so anything that
alleviates stress is beneficial.
Changing your lifestyle or having stress-relieving treatments such as
massage, aromatherapy and other complementary treatments can successful. A great
help is simply getting a correct diagnosis and explanation an hour's
session with a trichologist can be extremely reassuring.
Those treatments that do exist are aimed at producing new growth, as
prevention of the disorder is not yet possible, and there are some remedies that
may make a difference. Some scalp stimulants can have an effect: methyl
nicotinate or minoxidil (sold as 'Rogaine') may help. Sometimes steroid creams
are prescribed and some dermatologists will try steroid injections into the bald
patches. These treatments may help in some cases, but not in others.
There are also a number of more natural remedies that have recently been used
to treat alopecia areata. These are not well researched, but if they are
harmless they may be worth a try.
Alopecia areata is not harmful. but it can be extremely distressing. Women
may change their whole lifestyles because thy are ashamed to reveal their thin,
patchy or absent hair and a few may even become suicidal.
Traction alopecia
Traction alopecia usually occurs in women who wear severe hairstyles where
the hair is pulled back tightly into a bun, pleat or ponytail. It can also occur
in black women who wear their hair in cornrows or beads. These problems happen
only when the tractions prolonged, in which case the hari is pulled out at the
roots, especially along the front hairline, at partings and at the sides
of the head. A new hairstyle will usually resolve the problem, although if the
traction has gone on for a long time, then the hair loss may be permanent.
In other cases a woman develops a nervous habit of pulling, tugging or
winding the hair, which draws the hairs out by the roots. Some people
deliberately pull out individual hairs - this is like other nervous habits, such
as biting the fingernails, and is usually repeated subconsciously.
Stress-relieving treatments and hypnosis can be very useful in dealing with this
problem.
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