Alopecia

For most people, balding can be a natural part of life. There are many different natural factors that contribute to hair loss. As we age, a thinning of the hair and a receding hair line are completely natural. Due to hormonal changes, the cycle of hair loss and regrowth is altered and more hair is lost than replaced. But there are some factors that are beyond this. Alopecia is an auto immune disease that can case partial or even total hair loss at any age. For some people, the prospect of being completely bald is hard to face. For this reasons there have been some very effective hair regrowth treatments developed in the last decade or so.

Causes of alopecia

Although the alopecia is not completely understood by the medical and dermatological community, it is suggested by many studies that it is linked to an abnormality in the immune system. This makes it an auto immune disease and causes part of the immune system to attack the glands and cells responsible for growing hair. This disrupts normal hair formation on the head and other parts of the body and leads to partial or total baldness.

Types of alopecia

Many people are lead to believe that alopecia causes complete baldness in all cases. This however is not entirely true. There are three types of alopecia, each having their own unique baldness pattern associated with it. Alopecia can cause diffuse thinning of hair on the scalp and is by far the most common type of alopecia. If all of the hair on the scalp is lost it is referred to as alopecia totalis and is much less common. By far the most rare and most sever type of alopecia is alopecia universalis in which all of the hair on the body is lost.

Who can get alopecia?

While alopecia can occur at any age, it generally doesn't tend to affect you until you are between the ages of 30 and 60. In a few rare cases, alopecia has been identified in toddlers. It is not contagious and is equally likely to occur in men as it is in women. It can occur after the discontinuation of hormonal estrogen and progesterone during pregnancy or menopause. In men it is mostly linked to genetic factors.

Alopecia treatments

Alopecia is an unpredictable condition that has periods when the symptoms are showing and then periods when it goes into remission and hair begins to grow again. In general the longer the period of hair loss is, the less likely it is to grow back in the future. There are many hair treatments to counteract the symptoms of alopecia that may be explored by you and your dermatologist that come in the form of medication, surgical procedures and lifestyle changes.

Medication: There are several different types of alopecia medication available for men and women. They are designed to protect your hair follicles and subdue the part of your immune system that attack the cells responsible for hair growth.

Surgery: Surgical options for alopecia include hair replacement, scalp treatment and flap grafts. These procedures are designed to either replace hair you have lost or decrease the size on an affected area.

Alternative treatments: There are many commonly used alternative treatments available for hair loss and alopecia. Talk to your dermatologist about special diets, massages, herbs and supplements that can help reverse the symptoms of this embarrassing condition.

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