Alopecia: why you are losing hair and how to treat it
Educational Program Health / / December 30, 2020
Hair at least once fell on everyone. But sometimes they thin out so actively that natural bald patches appear on the head - and in this case they speak of alopecia.
What is alopecia and what it is
From Latin this word is translated simply - "baldness", "baldness". Essentially alopeciaAlopecia in general medicine - This is a pathological loss in which hair on some parts of the head disappears almost completely. It is often a sign of certain diseases, such as autoimmune diseases such as lupus erythematosus.
There are many typesAlopecia - What You Need to Know alopecia. Here are some of the more common ones.
Alopecia areata
This type of alopecia got its name because of its appearance: hair falls out pointwise, in small areas (foci). The head affected by alopecia areata looks spotty.
ArisesALOPECIA AREATA: WHO GETS AND CAUSES such a nuisance due to the fact that the immune system mistakenly begins to attack its own cells. In this case, hair follicles. The stronger the autoimmune attack, the more receding hairline.
Fortunately, hair follicles do not die with alopecia areata. This means that when the immune system regains itself, the hair will begin to grow back.
For many people, alopecia areata resolves on its own within a year.
But often it comes back again, and hair loss becomes even more extensive. Until the next improvement. And so in a circle: as trichologists say, alopecia areata is cyclical.
Androgenic alopecia
In this condition, the number of hair follicles decreases with age, and those that exist, weaken. Androgenic alopecia is associated with changes in hormonal levels, and the tendency to it is transmitted from parents to children.
Most often androgenic alopeciaAndrogenic alopecia men suffer - this condition is also known as baldness by the male type. It has characteristic features: the hairline recedes in some areas, forming the shape of the letter M - with distinct bald patches on the sides. The hair also becomes thinner or falls out altogether at the crown.
In women, androgenic alopecia is less pronounced: the hairline does not change, just the hair thinns noticeably over the entire surface of the head.
Traumatic alopecia
It is associated with physical effects on hair follicles. These can be burns (including chemical burns - for example, low-quality hair dye) or injuries that lead to scarring.
Sometimes traumatic alopecia is caused by the habit of pulling hair too tight in a braid or ponytail. Another reason is the mental disorder trichotillomania, in which a person, being nervous, pulls out his hair himself and injures his follicles.
Diffuse telogen alopecia
This is a condition in which hair gradually thinns and falls out over the entire surface of the head. It can be caused by various factors, including:
- stress;
- trauma;
- hormonal disorders - for example, caused by malfunctioning of the thyroid gland, pregnancy or breastfeeding;
- long-term use of certain medications - antibiotics, antipsychotics, antidepressants;
- acute infectious and severe chronic diseases;
- overly harsh diets or diets with severe nutritional deficiencies.
Anagenic alopecia
It is also called toxic, that is, caused by poisoning the body. Most often, anagenic alopecia is caused by:
- taking some potent drugs;
- chemotherapy in the treatment of cancer;
- exposure to radiation.
Hair with this type of alopecia falls out abruptly and in large quantities. But they can recover when the toxic factor disappears.
Infectious alopecia
A classic example is the shearing lichencaused by fungal skin lesions. But infections caused by bacteria or viruses can also lead to hair loss.
How to treat alopecia
It depends on what is causing it. Therefore, if you find bald patches in yourself, contact a therapist or a specialized doctor - a trichologist. Only a specialist can establish an accurate diagnosis.
The medic will conductHair Loss. Diagnosis and Treatment examination, will ask you about symptoms and lifestyle. For example, she will ask if the scalp itches and find out how you take care of your hair: do you braid it in tight braids, do you apply any cosmetics, do you perm. It will also clarify whether you are taking medications and whether you have recently experienced severe stress.
In some cases, for example, if we are talking about male pattern baldness or if hair loss occurs against the background breastfeeding, - the diagnosis can be established at the first visit to the doctor. But situations can be ambiguous, so a specialist may ask you to do some tests. For example, the following:
- Trichoscopy. This is the name of an instrumental hair study, which helps to establish how active the hair follicles are.
- Scraping from the scalp. It is indicated if the doctor suspects a fungal or other infection.
- Blood tests. They will help you find out if you have acute or chronic diseases, if your hormones are in order, if you suffer from anemia.
When the reasons for the loss become clear, the doctor will recommend how to correct the situation.
It does not always make sense to treat alopecia.
For example, if you have a focal type and hair problems last less than a year, the trichologist will advise the so-called expectantALOPECIA AREATA: DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT an approach. That is, he will simply offer to wait - with a rather large probability, the hair will soon recover by itself.
The same applies to situations where hair loss is associated with stress, pregnancy or breastfeeding, as well as with excessive stress on the hair (the habit of pulling it into a tight ponytail).
If alopecia is caused by other disorders - anemia, malfunctioning of the thyroid gland, chronic diseases, fungal infection, - first you need to cure or correct them. And when the health problem disappears, the condition of the hair will improve by itself.
In order for hair to grow more actively and faster, it is sometimes prescribed:
- Prescription products that stimulate hair growth. They are usually in the form of a cream or spray. They should be used on the affected area of ββthe skin until new hair grows.
- Corticosteroid ointments or injections. They help reduce damage to hair follicles caused by an attack by the immune system.
- Estrogen preparations. They are prescribed for women with androgenic alopecia (female pattern baldness).
Some types of alopecia are not treated at all. For example, this applies to extensive male pattern baldness. In this case, a transplant operation is indicated.Alopecia (hair loss) hair.
A dermatologist or surgeon will remove hair follicles from the part of the head where they are and transplant them into the receding hairline. Also, the doctor can use a narrow strip of skin for transplantation, which contains many follicles at once at different stages of activity.
This operation is painful and is therefore performed under local anesthesia. Also, if the receding hairline is large, you may need multiple treatments.
A much more gentle, and financially, option is to find a suitable wig or try on an image with a shaved head. Such decisions are not medical. But they will definitely improve your quality of life if you are nervous about alopecia.
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