Alopecia Areata Treatment

Alopecia areata is a form of hair loss from areas of the body, usually from the scalp. In most cases, hair falls out in small, round patches about the size of a quarter. Because it causes bald spots on the head especially in the first stages it is sometimes called spot baldness. It is nonscarring, which means that there is no permanent damage to the hair follicle. In most patients, new hair eventually grows back in the affected areas, although this process can take months. Approximately 80 percent of people with mild alopecia areata recover within a year however, the majority will experience more than one episode during their lifetime. It occurs in men and women of all races equally. The condition can develop at any age, although most patients are affected initially during childhood. Although not life-threatening, alopecia areata is most certainly life-altering, and its sudden onset, recurrent episodes, and unpredictable course have a profound psychological impact on the lives of those disrupted by this disease.

Alopecia areata is disease that affects the hair follicles, which are part of the skin from which hairs grow. Many people with the disease get only a few bare patches. It affects both men and women, predominately children and young adults but it can also develop in older adults. It usually starts out as smooth, small, round or oval patches of baldness that rapidly form on one side of the head. The edges of the patches are usually studded with exclamation point hairs. In some people hair loss is more extensive. Although uncommon, the disease can progress to cause total loss of hair on the head (referred to as alopecia areata totalis) or complete loss of hair on the head, face, and body (alopecia areata universalis). The most common treatment is with steroids (cortisone is one form) either topically or by injection. The outcome of treatment is good when the alopecia areata process is present less than one year and poor, especially in adults if the disease has been present for longer periods of time. Minoxidil (Rogaine) can help to regrow hair. Surgical treatment of this disorder is not recommended. If you have questions concerning Alopecia areata, please contact an ISHRS physician.

Causes of Alopecia Areata

The common Causes of Alopecia Areata :

• The cause of alopecia areata is unknown.
• Alopecia areata sometimes runs in families.
• Alopecia areata is not contagious, not caused by foods, and is not the result of nervousness.

Symptoms of Alopecia Areata

Some common Symptoms of Alopecia Areata :

• Hairs that look like exclamation points are sometime seen at the edges of a bald patch.

Treatment of Alopecia Areata

• Topical corticosteroids (medium to very high potency).
• Ultraviolet light therapy.
• Subcutaneous (under the skin surface) steroid injection.
• Cortisone creams are also sometimes beneficial in the treatment of alopecia areata.
• Many people have achieved success with treatments such as thymusil , an all-natural alopecia solution.