Androgenetic alopecia is the most common type of hair loss, affecting more than 50 million men and 30 million women in the United States. Commonly known as male pattern hair loss or female pattern hair loss, androgenetic alopecia is hereditary but can be managed with medication or surgery.
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.
Family history (heredity). The most common cause of hair loss is a hereditary condition that happens with aging. This condition is called androgenic alopecia, male-pattern baldness and female-pattern baldness.
The autoimmune disease known as alopecia areata is also an umbrella term that encompasses the other forms like alopecia totalis, alopecia universalis, diffuse and ophiasis alopecia areata.
In its worst form, alopecia universalis causes you to lose all body hair. This includes eyebrows, eyelashes, arms, legs, underarms, pubic, and chest and back hair for men. Rarely, people who have alopecia may feel burning or itching in the areas where they once had hair.
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.
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.
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.
The first sign of alopecia areata is often a round or oval bald patch on the scalp.
Alopecia areata can occur at any age but about half of cases come on in childhood and 80% of cases come on before the age of 40 years. Men and women are equally affected. The condition tends to be milder if it comes on at an older age.
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.
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.
Telogen effluvium, which is diffuse hair shedding due to a stressor, usually recovers spontaneously over 6-12 months even without treatment.
Hair loss, also called alopecia, is a disorder caused by an interruption in the body's cycle of hair production. Hair loss can occur anywhere on the body, but most commonly affects the scalp.
Traction alopecia is hair loss caused by tight hairstyles. Caught early, it is fully reversible and the hair can regrow.
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.
The condition can develop at any age, although most people develop alopecia areata for the first time before the age of 30.
The extent of alopecia (how much hair has fallen out) varies and links to the different subtypes. Some said their hair loss involved one small patch about the size of a 1p coin which regrew after a few weeks or months. Others developed more patches which sometimes joined up into bigger bald areas over time.
Calcipotriol, a vitamin D analog, has been reported to be topically used in treating alopecia areata with promising results. Combination therapy of vitamin D analogs with corticosteroids might also be used in treating alopecia areata.
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.
Alopecia areata is an inflammatory, non-scarring hair loss associated with autoimmune conditions. It is more commonly seen with thyroid disorders and vitiligo, but alopecia areata has also been linked to diabetes, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, and systemic lupus erythematosus.
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.
Most temporary hair loss is telogen effluvium — a type of nonscarring, temporary alopecia that's triggered by certain life events and changes in your physical or psychological health. One of the most common causes of telogen effluvium is stress.
Sometimes, hair regrows on its own without treatment. This happens more often when someone has a few patches of alopecia areata, which have been there for less than 1 year. When hair fails to grow back, treatment can help. Self-care also plays an important role in the lives of people who have alopecia areata.