A proper diagnosis often requires a scalp biopsy. What are the early symptoms of scarring alopecia? Early symptoms include itching, burning, and redness around hair follicles, followed by gradual hair thinning and the appearance of bald patches with a shiny or scarred surface.
One good indicator of scarring alopecia is a ragged edge around the patch, but since irritated patches don't always form, a small biopsy is usually performed to detect inflammatory cells around your hair follicles that may indicate scarring alopecia.
Scarring alopecia usually appears as a bald patch where there's typically hair. There might be one bald area or several. The skin where hair used to be tends to look smooth and shiny. Scarring alopecia can look different on different people.
If the skin on your head is itchy and flaking, you may have dry scalp. The condition occurs when your scalp loses too much moisture. Hair care products, the weather, age and various skin conditions can cause dry scalp.
This type of hair loss often looks like a receding hairline that runs along the front and sides of your head. Frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA) tends to start slowly, often causing a thin band of balding skin that runs along the front and sides of the hairline. FFA can also cause hair loss elsewhere on the body.
Breast cancer scalp metastases generally present as one or more inflammatory or nodular lesions, telangiectasias, or irregularly shaped skin lesions that are flesh or reddish, making them difficult to identify from other skin carcinomas. Scalp metastases may develop ulcers or develop an infection lesion.
For scarring hair loss, doctors administer anti-inflammatory medications directly to the scalp. They usually use triamcinolone or other corticosteroids to reduce inflammation in affected areas. For severe autoimmune hair loss, doctors prescribe immunosuppressant medications.
Scabs on the scalp can emerge due to folliculitis, dermatitis, psoriasis or an allergic reaction to chemical products, like hair dye or or hair treatments. It is rare for scabs to form due to severe health conditions, like skin cancer.
For some people, scar tissue may cause pain, tightness, itching, or difficulty moving. Due to how scar tissue matures, these symptoms may occur years after an injury.
Hair loss or thinning: A damaged hair follicle will be unable to create a strong piece of hair. Consequently, hair will become thin, brittle, and weak. You might notice that it's breaking more frequently than it would or altogether falling out. Breakage can be a direct result of this.
Scalp: Redness, irritation, and tiny bumps can form on your scalp. In some cases, hair may start to thin and patches of hair loss may occur. Genitals: Lichen planus in your genitals can cause bright red, painful areas.
Noticeable hair loss: Center of the scalp
The first sign is usually noticeable hair loss in the center of the scalp. This is why you see the word “central” in the name. Instead of developing one patch in the center of the scalp, a few people with CCCA develop scattered patches of hair loss on their scalp.
Painful sores, blisters, or bumps that form on the scalp may be caused by: Infection of the hair shafts (folliculitis) or the skin (such as impetigo). An allergic skin reaction (contact dermatitis). Viral infections, such as chickenpox and shingles.
Typically, dead hair follicles lead to a smooth patch of bald skin on the scalp – it typically will not look like general hair thinning. Doctors and hair specialists can get a look at your hair follicles by using a microscope.
Massage your scalp
Good circulation can support scalp health by delivering oxygen and key nutrients to hair follicles. You can increase blood flow and stimulate the skin cells in your scalp by massaging it with your fingertips or with a specialized massager.
A proper diagnosis often requires a scalp biopsy. What are the early symptoms of scarring alopecia? Early symptoms include itching, burning, and redness around hair follicles, followed by gradual hair thinning and the appearance of bald patches with a shiny or scarred surface.
Seborrheic (seb-o-REE-ik) dermatitis is a common skin condition that mainly affects your scalp. It causes scaly patches, inflamed skin and stubborn dandruff. It usually affects oily areas of the body, such as the face, sides of the nose, eyebrows, ears, eyelids and chest.
Scar tissue, which consists of a tough, fibrous protein called collagen, forms when the body repairs a wound. Common causes of scars include injury, surgery, and infection. As scar tissue begins to form, it may appear red, raised, and hard, but over time it fades, flattens, and softens.
Testing for vitamin D deficiency should be considered in patients with alopecia due to its high prevalence. While supplementation is controversial, we recommend giving cholecalciferol 50,000 IU once weekly for 12 weeks followed by 2,000 IU daily.