When should I see a doctor for alopecia?

Author: Isadore Osinski PhD  |  Last update: Thursday, April 13, 2023

See your doctor if you are distressed by persistent hair loss in you or your child and want to pursue treatment. For women who are experiencing a receding hairline (frontal fibrosing alopecia), talk with your doctor about early treatment to avoid significant permanent baldness.

Should you see a doctor if you have alopecia?

See a GP if:

you have sudden hair loss. you develop bald patches. you're losing hair in clumps. your head also itches and burns.

Can doctors do anything for alopecia?

Effective treatments for some types of hair loss are available. You might be able to reverse hair loss, or at least slow it. With some conditions, such as patchy hair loss (alopecia areata), hair may regrow without treatment within a year. Treatments for hair loss include medications and surgery.

What happens if alopecia is left untreated?

Often, hair grows back within several months, even without treatment. It may grow in fine or white at first, but usually returns to its original texture and color with time. People with alopecia areata may lose and grow back their hair more than once, either in the same patches as before or in different patches.

How long does an alopecia episode last?

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.

Which doctor should I see if I’m losing my hair?

What triggers alopecia?

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.

What are the three stages of alopecia?

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.

What is the fastest way to cure alopecia?

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.

How quickly does alopecia spread?

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.

How do you stop alopecia from spreading?

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.

What doctor checks alopecia?

Your dermatologist will examine the area(s) with hair loss carefully and look at your nails. Your dermatologist will also ask some questions. This may be enough to diagnose you. Because there are so many reasons for hair loss, testing is sometimes necessary to make sure alopecia areata is the cause of your hair loss.

Is alopecia an emergency?

Scarring or cicatricial alopecias represent a group of poorly understood and uncommon disorders that cause permanent hair loss. Scarring alopecias are regarded as trichologic emergencies as hair loss is irreversible, rapidly progressive, and can be disfiguring.

How much does it cost to fix alopecia?

On June 13, 2022, the FDA approved the first systemic treatment for severe alopecia areata: the oral tablet baricitinib (Olumiant). Without insurance coverage, baricitinib costs around $2,500 and $5,000 per month for 2-mg or 4-mg tablets, respectively.

Will my alopecia get worse?

It may be progressive, meaning it gets worse over time, or it may not. For some people, small bare patches join together and turn into large patches. You're more likely to have extensive alopecia areata if: You have eczema.

How do doctors test for alopecia?

Can a Blood Test Detect Alopecia? Yes, a blood test can diagnose alopecia. Your doctor may order several blood works to determine the cause of the hair loss along with a scalp biopsy. In most cases, the particular lab tests your doctor could depend on accompanying symptoms or recent life changes you have.

Is alopecia something to worry about?

Alopecia is, simply put, hair loss. If you have alopecia, you might see extra hair on pillows or in shower drains, or you might notice bald patches on your scalp. Over time hair loss can grow back or fall out permanently, depending on the cause. Alopecia is not curable, but it's treatable and not life-threatening.

What does early alopecia look like?

The first sign of alopecia areata is often a round or oval bald patch on the scalp.

Can alopecia spread by touching?

Is alopecia contagious? Alopecia is not contagious. Individuals who develop alopecia areata typically have both a family history and some type of environmental trigger, such as emotional or physical stress.

Can you all of a suddenly get alopecia?

Frontal fibrosing alopecia

It can come on suddenly or gradually and affect just your scalp or your whole body. Signs and symptoms of hair loss may include: Gradual thinning on top of head. This is the most common type of hair loss, affecting people as they age.

What helps fight alopecia?

Treatments for mild alopecia areata
  • INTRALESIONAL CORTICOSTEROID INJECTIONS. This method of treatment — the most common form of treatment for alopecia areata — uses corticosteroids that are injected into bare patches of skin with a tiny needle. ...
  • TOPICAL MINOXIDIL. ...
  • ANTHRALIN CREAM OR OINTMENT. ...
  • TOPICAL CORTICOSTEROIDS.

How should I wear my hair if I have alopecia?

Opting for protective hairstyles for traction alopecia can help. This means choosing styles that allow hair to be natural and loose and foregoing tight ponytails, buns, braids or hair extensions.

How can I fix alopecia at home?

Rosemary oil

Rosemary oil has been found to stimulate new hair growth and can even be used to treat androgenetic alopecia. Mix a few drops of rosemary oil into a carrier oil, like argan oil or jojoba oil, and massage it into your hair and scalp before rinsing. You can do this a few times per week.

What should be avoided in 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.

Will my alopecia go away?

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.

Is alopecia very serious?

Alopecia areata isn't usually a serious medical condition, but it can cause a lot of anxiety and sadness. Support groups are out there to help you deal with the psychological effects of the condition. If you lose all your hair, it could grow back.

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