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.
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.
According to Levitan, getting between 800 and 2,000 IU—or 20 to 50 micrograms—of vitamin D daily is usually enough, and “too much can cause toxicity.” Some people require 5,000 IU daily to maintain optimum blood levels and Vitamin D should be taken in the morning with Magnesium for maximum bioavailability.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
One role vitamin D plays is stimulating new and old hair follicles. When there isn't enough vitamin D in your system, new hair growth can be stunted. Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to alopecia, the autoimmune condition that causes bald patches on the scalp and other areas of the body.
Prevent hair loss
A small trial from 2010 found that vitamin E supplements improved hair growth in people with hair loss. It's thought that the vitamin's antioxidant properties helped reduce oxidative stress in the scalp. Oxidative stress has been linked with hair loss .
Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Olumiant (baricitinib) oral tablets to treat adult patients with severe alopecia areata, a disorder that often appears as patchy baldness and affects more than 300,000 people in the U.S. each year.
If you have alopecia areata, it is good to have foods rich in antioxidants, which include apples, apricots, berries, other bright-colored foods and green vegetables. Foods high in biotin should be included to promote hair growth.
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.
While there is scientific proof that coconut oil can reduce protein loss in hair, there's no scientific evidence to show that coconut oil has any effect on preventing male pattern baldness caused by DHT. However, this hasn't stopped people from making claims about coconut oil's “ability” to prevent hair loss.
Female-pattern baldness is a pattern of hair loss (alopecia) caused by hormones, aging and genetics. Unlike male-pattern baldness, female-pattern baldness is an over-all thinning which maintains the normal hairline.
There is no cure for alopecia areata. If you have a few, small patches of hair loss on your head, it's likely your hair will grow back within a few months. Your doctor may not prescribe treatment in those cases. For larger areas of hair loss, your doctor may prescribe steroid injections under your 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.
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.
Baricitinib helps regrow hair by preventing the body's immune system from attacking hair follicles.
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.
The first sign of alopecia areata is often a round or oval bald patch on the scalp.