Alopecia: causes and treatment

Alopecia is the absence or loss of hair in areas where it is usually found. The scalp, for example, has more than 1000 hairs and loses or sheds 100 daily. When hair loss exceeds 100 hairs per day and light scalp with absence of hair begin to be seen, it can be said that a person suffers from alopecia which can be partial, complete, permanent or temporary.

Alopecia is a condition that is associated with the male gender , however, it can attack women as well. There are different types of alopecia, let’s know what they are:

Non-scarring alopecia

They are the most common among the types of alopecia and have the advantage that it can be cured with treatment, some types even disappear spontaneously. This type of alopecia is

characterized by the fact that the hair follicle behaves pathologically but remains alive, unless the alopecia lasts for a long time. The types of non-scarring alopecia are:

• Androgenic or androgenetic alopecia : this is the common baldness that affects more men than women. When the degree of this alopecia is very advanced, few treatments work, so surgical intervention or accepting baldness is recommended. There are treatments that can reverse the progression of this type of alopecia, which inhibit the production of androgens, the hormone responsible for hair loss. However, if the baldness continues to progress despite treatment and the hair follicles die, the alopecia is irreversible unless a transplant is carried out. In the case of women, this type of alopecia usually appears only on the front of the scalp, keeping hair at the back.

• Alopecia areata : it appears through patches without any hair, round and scattered around the head. The cause of this alopecia is unknown and currently there are only a few treatments that can slightly improve the condition: corticosteroids, steroid injections, and irritants to stimulate the follicle and activate hair growth .

• Total alopecia : hair is lost from the entire scalp.

• Universal alopecia : hair is lost all over the body.

• Traumatic alopecia : it is caused by any element that can cause injuries to the scalp such as dryers, irons and any other artifact.

• Diffuse alopecia : hair loss due to chronic diseases, emotional stress , feverish illness, or childbirth.

• Alopecia from medications or drugs : antithyroid, vitamin A in large doses, anticoagulants and mercury can cause alopecia. Stopping consumption ends hair loss.

• Systemic diseases : alopecia occurs due to lupus, endocrine disorders or nutritional disorders.

• Hereditary alopecia : the person who suffers from it comes to lack almost all the hair.

Scarring alopecia

They are usually irreversible because the death of the follicle is total due to damage, malformation or rupture. There is no treatment that can grow hair out of a dead follicle. This type of alopecia is classified as follows:

• Infectious alopecia : they can occur due to bacteria, viruses or protozoa.

• Alopecia due to physicochemical agents : it can occur due to burns, acids, radiation.

• Tumor alopecia : occurs due to the presence of dermal tumors, metastases, lymphomas and adnexal tumors.

• Heritage . With age it is normal for men and women to lose the amount and thickness of their hair, presenting baldness that is associated with age, alterations in testosterone and family history. The hereditary baldness , also known as pattern baldness is no scar and affects more men than women.

• Physical or emotional stress : up to three-quarters of hair can be lost due to improper handling of emotions. This type of alopecia is recognized by the fact that the hair falls out in bunches when the shampoo is applied, combed or stroked with the hands. This type of hair loss can take time to be identified, and although it is temporary, it can become chronic . This type of alopecia can also occur due to: surgical intervention, childbirth, fever, serious infections, bleeding, strict diets and drugs such as contraceptives. To treat this type of alopecia, the origin of its cause must be known.

Other causes that can generate alopecia are:

• Anemia.
• Syphilis.
• Lupus.
• Burns.
• Excessive use of the dryer.
• Hormonal changes.
• Radiation therapy and chemotherapy.
• Thyroid disease
• Ovarian or adrenal gland tumor.

Many people let hair loss pass believing that it is a temporary episode and ruling out suffering from alopecia. However, there are some signs that may indicate that you should seek the help of an expert:

• Unjustifiable hair loss between the ages of 20 and 30.
• Hair loss is accompanied by pain or itching.
• The scalp is red or scaly in the area with alopecia.
• The woman has acne, facial hair and menstrual lack of control .
• You are a woman with male pattern baldness.
• Baldness in beard or eyebrows.
• Scalp infection.
• Fungi on the scalp.

A dermatologist will do a physical examination of the person’s symptoms and habits. However, further examinations may be necessary to determine the cause of alopecia. Some tests your doctor may order are:

• Skin biopsy.
• Blood tests.
• Microscopic examination of a hair.

The treatment for alopecia must be accompanied by the treatment of the cause that originates it, because if the trigger for this condition is not addressed, it is likely that the alopecia will extend for much longer and the treatments will not take effect.

There are many “miracle” treatments on the market that offer to treat alopecia, and not all of them fulfill their mission. Treatment for alopecia must generate a reaction in the follicle so that it is activated and stimulates hair growth, which can be carried out with topical applications , medications or injections. Some treatments have given effective results and others whose action is not scientifically proven, but some are very famous in society for their natural properties:

Treatments of unproven efficacy:

• Laser therapy.
• Scalp massages.
• Essential fatty acids.
• Beer yeast.
• Mesotherapy.
• Biotin.
• Green tea.
• Jojoba oil

Proven treatments

• Hair cosmetics.
• Ketoconazole.
• Finasteride.
• Minoxidil.

Hair transplantation is the only option that can work when the alopecia is irreversible and the follicle has died. If you want to perform a hair transplant, the person should consult a dermatologist beforehand, because not all people apply for this type of treatment for alopecia .

The capillary graft is a surgical treatment that is performed by applying local anesthesia and whose risks suggest infection or bleeding, so that the person who undergoes the implant cannot suffer from any disease. Other limitations for this type of treatment for alopecia are: age under 25 years, women with little baldness, extension of hair loss, the type of hair, thick and wavy hairs offer a better result. Currently there are two types of transplantation:

1. It consists of extracting a strip of skin with hair from the back of the scalp. This strip will be dissected to extract follicular units that will be transplanted in the area with alopecia. It is a painful technique that can leave scars.
2. A second technique is more innovative because it leaves no trace of a transplant. It is the Follicular Unit Extraction method, which extracts a follicular unit from an area without alopecia without leaving any type of scar and then grafts it onto the balding area.

This article is merely informative, at FastlyHeal .com we do not have the power to prescribe medical treatments or make any type of diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor in the case of presenting any type of condition or discomfort.

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