In alopecia areata, the body's immune system mistakenly attacks the hair follicles for reasons that are not clear. Fortunately, the follicles retain their ability to regrow hair, and the hair loss is not permanent in most cases.
Currently, there is no cure for alopecia areata. But the good news is that even when your disease is “active,” your hair follicles remain alive. This means that your hair can grow back again — even after a long period of time and even if you have more than 50% hair loss.
The good news is most people who have alopecia areata are healthy. It's still normal to want to camouflage small symptoms, though. If you have small patches, you can use a hair-colored powder, cream, or crayon. If they are larger, you can try a wig, hairpiece, scarf, or hat.
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.
Hair loss (alopecia) can affect just your scalp or your entire body, and it can be temporary or permanent. It can be the result of heredity, hormonal changes, medical conditions or a normal part of aging.
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.
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.
Patchy alopecia areata
Injections of corticosteroids: To help your hair regrow, your dermatologist will inject this medication into the bald areas. These injections are usually given every 4 to 8 weeks as needed, so you will need to return to your dermatologist's office for treatment.
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.
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.
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.
Sometimes one or more bald patches develop a few weeks after the first one. Sometimes the first bald patch is regrowing hair whilst a new bald patch is developing. It can then appear as if small bald patches rotate around different areas of the scalp over time.
Anyone can develop alopecia; however, your chances of having alopecia areata are slightly greater if you have a relative with the condition. In addition, alopecia areata occurs more often among people who have family members with autoimmune disorders such as diabetes, lupus or thyroid disease.
Cicatricial alopecia .
It involves inflammation that destroys hair follicles. The destroyed follicles get replaced by scar tissue, resulting in permanent hair loss in the area.
Alopecia areata affects 1 in every 500 to 1,000 people in the United States. It is one of many recognized forms of alopecia; alopecia areata is the second most common form after androgenetic alopecia (male-pattern baldness in men and female-pattern baldness in women).
For 1/3 of people with alopecia areata with a single patch, the hair will grow back in 6 months even without treatment. For another 1/3 of people, it will grow back in 1 year without treatment. For 1/3 it does not grow back on its and hair loss worsens without treatment.
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.
Bright colored fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants that help reduce inflammation. These include apples, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, pineapple, cherries, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach and green cabbage. And with these, symptoms of alopecia areata might also improve. This contains many antioxidants.
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.
For alopecia areata
Biotin and trace minerals, such as those found in blue-green algae, may promote hair growth. Some health care professionals recommend biotin and zinc aspartate to treat alopecia areata in children.
Everyone is born with hundreds of thousands of hair on the head. The hair cycle consists of three phases: the growth phase, which is called anagen, the resting phase, which is called catagen, and the shedding phase, which is the telogen phase.
The first sign of alopecia areata is often a round or oval bald patch on the scalp.
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.