There is no cure for alopecia areata, but there are treatments that help hair grow back more quickly. There are also resources to help people cope with hair loss.
Is there a permanent cure for alopecia? Not currently. However, there are several treatment options that might slow down hair loss or even help your hair grow back faster.
There is currently no cure for alopecia areata, although there are some forms of treatment that can be suggested by doctors to help hair re-grow more quickly. The most common form of alopecia areata treatment is the use of corticosteroids, powerful anti-inflammatory drugs that can suppress the immune system.
In most people, new hair eventually grows back in the affected areas, although this process can take months. Approximately 50 percent of people with mild alopecia areata recover within a year; however, most people will experience more than one episode during their lifetime.
Causes of Alopecia Areata
In alopecia areata, the immune system mistakenly attacks hair follicles, causing inflammation. Researchers do not fully understand what causes the immune attack on hair follicles, but they believe that both genetic and environmental (non-genetic) factors play a role.
Alopecia areata (AA) occurs when the immune system attacks the hair follicle. Studies have shown a relationship between AA and low vitamin D levels. Vitamin D should be supplemented if levels are low. However, more studies are needed to determine the effect of iron and zinc supplementation on AA patients.
Most people know alopecia to be a form of hair loss. However, what they don't always know is that there are three main types of the condition – alopecia areata, alopecia totalis and alopecia universalis.
Ketoconazole shampoos help treat Alopecia by cleaning the skin area around your hair follicle of sebum, or the skins natural oils that are produced. Getting rid of these oils can allow your hair follicles to receive more nutrition and release for your hair to regrow.
Ways to Stop Alopecia Areata from Spreading or Worsening
Avoiding unnecessary hair or scalp trauma, reducing stress and analyzing your diet are all worthwhile endeavors when attempting to prevent alopecia areata from spreading.
Prescription-strength corticosteroids in liquid form can be applied directly to the scalp. This is often an effective treatment for children affected by alopecia areata. Corticosteroid injections into areas of patchy hair loss on the scalp may help revive hair growth within several weeks in people with alopecia areata.
How Long does Hair Loss Last? In half of patients with alopecia areata, individual episodes of hair loss last less than one year, and hair grows back without treatment. These patients may experience recurrent episodes of hair loss that spontaneously regrow or respond quickly to treatments.
When does alopecia areata begin? You can get alopecia areata at any age; however, most people develop it by 30 years of age. For many, the disease begins during childhood or the teenage years.
You might be able to reverse hair loss, or at least slow it. With some conditions, such as patchy hair loss (alopecia areata), hair may regrow without treatment within a year. Treatments for hair loss include medications and surgery.
A variety of factors are thought to cause alopecia areata (al-o-PEE-she-uh ar-e-A-tuh), possibly including severe stress. With alopecia areata, the body's immune system attacks the hair follicles — causing hair loss.
Alopecia areata tends to appear during childhood, but it could surface at any age. It can also disappear for decades, Freidman says. "It's common to have it as a kid, have it go away, and then have it come back 20 years later," he says.
“It's all to do with the menthol and eucalyptus which can be found in Vicks,” she says. “These ingredients won't cause hair that has been lost to traction alopecia or female pattern hair loss to regrow, but they may help existing hair to grow in length although we wouldn't recommend putting Vicks onto scalps.
No, no matter what you do with it apple cider vinegar will not cure or treat hair loss. The reason it is often linked with hair care is because it is an ancient remedy for making the hair shine and treating dandruff that is said to have been favoured by the Romans.
How Many Washes Should You Aim For? While this question truly depends on the nature of your hair and varies from every person, if you have thinning hair, try to wash your hair between 3-4 times a week if necessary; washing thinning hair just 3 to 4 times per week means doing so just about every other day.
Alopecia areata is sometimes triggered by viral infections such as influenza that causes excess production of interferons (IFN). IFN- γ is one of the key factors that lead to the collapse of immune privilege.
There is no cure for AA. While treatments may promote hair growth, new patches of hair loss may continue to appear. The treatments are not a cure. Only the body, itself, can eventually turn off the condition.
Alopecia areata isn't usually a serious medical condition, but it can cause a lot of anxiety and sadness. Support groups are out there to help you deal with the psychological effects of the condition. If you lose all your hair, it could grow back.
Eat plenty of protein and healthy fats.
A diet rich in omega oils and antioxidants to reduce oxidative stress placed on the hair by the environment, as well as some seafood rich in minerals and vitamins, can help with hair growth,” St. Surin-Lord says.
While there is scientific proof that coconut oil can reduce protein loss in hair, there's no scientific evidence to show that coconut oil has any effect on preventing male pattern baldness caused by DHT. However, this hasn't stopped people from making claims about coconut oil's “ability” to prevent hair loss.