The following are the main ways it may progress: Quite often the bald patch or patches regrow hair within a few months. If hair grows back, it may not have its usual colour at first and look grey or white for a while. The usual colour eventually returns after several months.
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.
Short, tapered hairs, known as exclamation mark hairs that are characteristic of alopecia areata, may be seen at the edge of the bald patch. Regrowth usually starts at the centre of the bald patch with fine white hair that thickens with time and usually regains its colour.
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.
One of the early symptoms of alopecia could be changes to your nail beds. If you notice pitting, small craters, or white patches on your nails, this could be a warning sign.
It may be progressive, meaning it gets worse over time, or it may not. For some people, small bare patches join together and turn into large patches. You're more likely to have extensive alopecia areata if: You have eczema.
Symptoms of alopecia areata
A mild case of alopecia areata starts with one to two coin-size hairless patches. In many instances, it stops after that. Sometimes, the hair will grow back. However, there's no guarantee.
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.
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.
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.
The only sign of alopecia areata is often sudden hair loss. The patches of hair loss can grow larger. Sometimes, the patches grow larger and become one large bald spot.
In a small study of patients who had complete loss of hair on their scalp or entire body, 57% had complete regrowth with methotrexate. If this medication works for you, you should see some regrowth in about 3 months after you begin taking it. If methotrexate fully regrows your hair, regrowth will take 6 to 12 months.
Hair loss in alopecia areata can range from a single patch to 100% loss of body hair. When hair regrowth occurs in alopecia areata, the new hair may demonstrate pigment alterations, but a change in hair texture (ie, curly or straight) has rarely been reported as a consequence of alopecia areata.
It could generate fear in many as the pattern of hair loss is sudden, it can stop in between but can start again at any point of time over a lifetime. But, not to worry as hair loss resulting due to alopecia areata is not permanent. If the autoimmune disorder is reversed, hair growth can start again.
Thankfully, mild cases of alopecia areata often get better without treatment within a few months to a year. In some cases, patchy baldness may come and go over many months or years. The size of the bald patch or patches and how long they last are quite variable.
On the AIP elimination diet, you will avoid grains, legumes, nightshades (such as potatoes and peppers), dairy, eggs, coffee, alcohol, sugar, oil and food additives. After a few months, you can work the excluded foods back in one at a time to figure out which foods trigger an inflammatory reaction.
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.
Corticosteroid injections are often used in the treatment of alopecia areata, as they work by modulating immune system activity and lowering inflammation. People with alopecia areata develop hair loss when their immune systems attack the body's natural processes.
Can Alopecia Be Reversed? Whether your hair loss is caused by hormones or an autoimmune disorder, regrowing your hair by using new medications and modifying your diet can be possible as long as you start treatment early.
Alopecia Areata
Hair from the scalp typically falls out in small patches and is not painful. Hair in other parts of the body, including the eyebrows and eyelashes, may also fall out. Over time, this disease may lead to alopecia totalis, or complete hair loss.
It all comes down to personal choice. Some people who are losing their hair never shave their heads. It is not an essential part of the journey. Some might decide to shave their head once their hair loss has become impossible to conceal.
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.
No, washing your hair won't make it worse
"A common myth is that shampooing can affect your hair loss, but this is wrong," says Dr Batter. "You can shampoo as normal, as this won't worsen hair loss."