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Alopecia - Alopecia symptom, treatment, causes

Synonym: Baldness

Alopecia is the loss of scalp hair is often distressing to both men and women. Or Alopecia is the loss of hair over large areas of the scalp, can either be genetic and hormonally determined, or acquired through infections and other illnesses.

Alopecia areata is a highly unpredictable, autoimmune skin disease resulting in the loss of hair on the scalp and elsewhere on the body. Alopecia areata affects both males and females. Scientists think AA is an autoimmune disease where white blood cells from the immune system attack hair follicles and keep them from producing hairs. Hair loss tends to be rather rapid and often involves one side of the head more than the other. . Alopecia areata usually starts with one or more small, round, smooth bald patches on the scalp and can progress to total scalp hair loss or complete body hair loss . As a result, more hairs are in the telogen phase, and the patient may notice an increase in hair shedding. The characteristic finding of alopecia areata is the exclamation point hair. Alopecia areata is thought to be an autoimmune disease in which the body mistakenly treats its hair follicles as foreign tissue and suppresses or stops hair growth.

The inflammation that destroys the follicle is below the skin surface and there is usually no "scar" seen on the scalp. Androgenetic alopecia in men has been associated with several other medical conditions including coronary heart disease and enlargement of the prostate, a walnut-sized gland in males that is located below the bladder. Alopecia areata is a highly unpredictable, autoimmune skin disease resulting in the loss of hair on the scalp and elsewhere on the body. Male-pattern baldness usually is a hereditary condition. The condition may begin at any age. Alopecia areata is sometimes associated with other autoimmune conditions such as allergic disorders, thyroid disease, vitiligo , lupus, rheumatoid arthritis , and ulcerative colitis. The tissue is then attacked. The end result depends on how effectively the tissue defends itself as it tries to grow back normally.

Hair loss that accompanies stress, severe infection and high fevers is generally reversible. Regrowth occurs without any special treatment. Male pattern baldness is heritable. Women who have virilizing illnesses too (seeVirilization) may show this pattern of baldness. The hairline recedes and the forehead extends farther back.

Alopecia is the type of baldness which is the 'common' type seen in men. It is determined by the male hormone (androgensltestosterone) and may be caused by abnormally high levels of these in both men and women.

What is Alopecia - Symptom, Causes, Treatment

Alopecia ia the baldness or loss of hair from areas where it normally grows. Hair is lost when hair follicles stop functioning, and may be temporary or permanent. Temporary baldness, which may be general or patchy, can occur in severe debilitating illness, or result from drugs, poisons, irradiation, hormonal disorders or emotional stress. Hair will regrow when the hair follicles are no longer influenced by whatever caused their temporary failure in Alopecia.

Permanent baldness in some males is due to an inherited tendency for hair follicles to disappear gradually in parts of the scalp, under the influence of male hormones. In Alopecia, Some women lose a certain amount of scalp air after the menopause, because they have an excess of male hormones when the ovaries are not producing enough female hormones to counteract them.

Types of Alopecia

Here are the list of some of the types of Alopecia:

1. alopecia areata
2. alopecia totalis
3. androgenic alopecia
4. androgenetic alopecia
5. traction alopecia
6. scarring alopecia
7. alopecia in child
8. alopecia ariata
9. alopecia areta
10. seasonal flank alopecia
11. female alopecia
12. alopecia in dog
13. feline endocrine alopecia

Treatment of Alopecia

Drugs like minoxidil and finasteride permit regrowth, but must be used only on presc!,iption. Hair transplant is an option. In women, the cause of virilization must be detected and treated.

A wide variety of drugs can cause baldness with diffuse hair loss. Any increased hair loss noticed after starting a new medication must be reported to the doctor. Regrowth generally occurs after discontinuing the drug. The commonest generalized illness causing hair loss is malnutrition. The first step to correct hair loss is to increase protein in the diet.

Patchy baldness can be caused by scalp infections and hormone disturbances like thyroid disorders. See your doctor to be advised about them.