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. Anyone can lose hair on their head, but it's more common in men.
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.
Alopecia areata is an autoimmune condition that triggers hair loss in patches across the body. It can affect people of all ages and genders, but the good news is that hair often grows back on its own with the help of immune-suppressing medication.
Alopecia areata (AA) causes hair loss in small, round patches that may go away on their own, or may last for many years. Nearly 2% of the U.S. population (about four million people) will develop AA in their lifetime.
Alopecia is a general term for hair loss and represents many different types of hair loss conditions. Generally we categorize alopecia as non-scarring, which may be reversible/temporary, and scarring, which is irreversible, although the cause can be addressed to stop further hair loss.
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.
Alopecia Areata and Your Diet
“Alopecia areata may be reversed through diet, possibly with antioxidants or an anti-inflammatory diet, probiotics, zinc, biotin and healthy oils,” Kimberly Langdon, MD, an OB/GYN based in Ohio who works at Medzino, tells WebMD Connect to Care. Add probiotics to your diet.
Alopecia areata cannot be cured; however, it can be treated and the hair can grow back. In many cases, alopecia is treated with drugs that are used for other conditions. Treatment options for alopecia areata include: Corticosteroids: anti-inflammatory drugs that are prescribed for autoimmune diseases.
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. Anyone can lose hair on their head, but it's more common in men.
Hair starts to regrow after about 3 months among patients who respond. Adverse effects may include an allergic reaction, mild dermatitis, or eczema, or a severe skin reaction.
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.
Is alopecia areata curable? It cannot be cured; however, it's possible to regrow hair. For some people, regrowth will happen without any help. Because alopecia areata cannot be cured, people who have regrowth can have more hair loss later.
Here's the truth: You can't change the size of your hair follicles. If you were born with fine hair, it's genetics, and no product will completely alter that. Of course, there are ways to maintain your hair health, add volume, and keep it from getting any thinner.
According to a 2020 study in Dermatology and Therapy, vitamin D plays an important role in immune health. A deficiency in vitamin D can be linked to many different types of autoimmune disease—including alopecia areata.
If you have alopecia areata, it generally doesn't cause pain or other symptoms. However, some people say that right before they lose their hair, they feel tingling, itching, or burning on the skin where the hair will fall out.
A common symptom includes small, round patches of hair loss on the scalp, beard area, or other “hairy” parts of the body. Those with alopecia may also notice hair loss and regrowth at the same time, but in different areas of the body. Hair may also only be missing from one side of the scalp and not the other.
Although not all causes of scalp inflammation cause hair loss, some may cause you to shed hair. In some cases, this hair loss may become permanent if left untreated.
While hair can be lost from any part of the body, alopecia areata usually affects the head and face. Hair typically falls out in small, round patches about the size of a quarter, but in some cases, hair loss is more extensive. Most people with the disease are healthy and have no other symptoms.
Some people may have hair loss while taking Plaquenil. But it's not known how often this side effect occurs. Hair loss can also be a symptom of lupus and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), which Plaquenil is prescribed to treat.
Surgical treatment such as laser therapy or a hair transplant can help revive the hair follicles. Further, if the situation is not too worse, a hair specialist can also prescribe you supplements that will fulfil the nutritional requirements of your hair follicles.
Most people see their hair regain its normal fullness within six to nine months. If you suspect that your hair loss is caused by something more than telogen effluvium from stress or a fever, talk with a hair-loss expert, a dermatologist.
Most people with alopecia areata are generally healthy otherwise, and the disorder itself is not a sign of a serious or life-threatening disease.