Blog

What Are The Symptoms Of Alopecia Areata?

The typical pattern is for one or more bald patches to appear on the scalp. These tend to be round in shape, and about the size of a large coin. They develop quite quickly. A relative, friend, or hairdresser may be the first person to notice the bald patch or patches. Apart from the bald patch or patches, the scalp usually looks healthy and there is no scarring. Occasionally, there is some mild redness, mild scaling, mild burning, or a slight itchy feeling on the bald patches.

When a bald patch first develops, it is difficult to predict how it will progress. The following are the main ways it may progress.

Quite often the bald patch or patches re-grow hair within a few months. If hair grows back it may not have its usual colour at first and looks grey or white for a while. The usual colour eventually returns after several months.

Sometimes one or more bald patches develop a few weeks after the first one. Sometimes the first bald patch is re-growing hair whilst a new bald patch is developing. It can then appear as if small bald patches rotate around different areas of the scalp over time.

Sometimes several small bald patches develop and merge into a larger bald area.

Patches of body hair, beard, eyebrows, or eyelashes may be affected in some cases.

Large bald patches develop in some people. Some people lose all their scalp hair. This is called alopecia totalis.

In a small number of cases, all scalp hair, body hair, beard, eyebrows, and eyelashes are lost. This is called alopecia universalis.

The nails are affected in about 1 in 5 cases and can become pitted or ridged.

Some people become self-conscious, anxious or distressed by the appearance of the hair loss.

Do you have Hair Loss Problems, read our Hair Loss Help

Alopecia Areata

Going bald isn’t something that just happens to men. Women and children can also suffer hair loss. It may be triggered by stress, through illness or for no apparent reason at all. About 25 percent of people with alopecia have a family history. There are three main sorts of alopecia hair loss: alopecia areata, bald patches anywhere on your body, alopecia totalis, complete loss of hair on your scalp and alopecia universalis, complete hair loss on your body. Hair can re-grow, although some people have permanent hair loss. The good news is that there are promising new regrowth treatments.

For a full medical explanation of the causes, symptoms and treatments of alopecia from patient.co.uk, read on.
Alopecia areata is one type of hair loss that typically causes patches of baldness. In some cases total baldness develops. In many cases the hair re-grows, typically after several months. In some cases, the hair loss is permanent. Treatments to promote hair re-growth work in some cases.
 

What is alopecia areata and who is affected?

Alopecia means ‘loss of hair’ or ‘hair loss’ or ‘baldness’. There are several different causes and patterns of alopecia. Alopecia areata is one type of hair loss. The exact number of people affected by alopecia areata is not known. Estimates vary between 1 in 1000 to 2 in 100 people being affected at some point in their life. Alopecia areata can occur at any age but most cases first develop in teenagers and children. In about 6 in 10 cases the first patch of hair loss develops before the age of 20 years. Males and females are equally affected.

Do you have Hair Loss Problems, read our Hair Loss Help

Alopecia Areata: What Is It?

Alopecia areata is a form of hair loss from areas of the body, usually from the scalp . Because it causes bald spots on the head, especially in the first stages, it is sometimes called spot baldness. Alopecia areata affects both males and females. This type of hair loss is different than male pattern baldness, an inherited condition. Alopecia areata is one type of hair loss. The exact number of people affected by alopecia areata is not known. Estimates vary between 1 in 1000 to 2 in 100 people being affected at some point in their life. Alopecia areata can occur at any age but most cases first develop in teenagers and children. In about 6 in 10 cases the first patch of hair loss develops before the age of 20 years.

MAY 2007 (Before Treatment)                 SEPTEMBER 2007 (After Treament)

Causes

Alopecia is not contagious. It is an autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system attacks itself, in this case, the hair follicles. Alopecia areata may occur in more than one member of the family, and such families may develop other autoimmune diseases such as pernicious anaemia and vitiligo. It is also more common in patients with chromosomal disorders such as Down syndrome.

Symptoms of Alopecia

The primary symptom of alopecia areata is roundish patches of hair loss on the head, with smooth, hairless scalp in the affected areas. Alopecia totalis involves the complete loss of all scalp hair, and alopecia universalis is characterized by the complete loss of all scalp and body hair.

Treatment

Topical Minoxidil Topically applied rninoxidil 5% solution is helpful in reducing the rate of hair loss or in partially restoring lost hair in some patients; in large clinical trials, moderate growth has been noted at 4 and 12 months in 40% of males. The efficacy of minoxidil in females is not yet known from large clinical trials. Combinations of higher concentrations of minoxidil with topical retinoic acid are promising improvements.
Immunotherapy using chemicals such as diphenylcyclopropenone or squaric acid dibutyl ester on the scalp that can produce an allergic reaction, which may neutralize the turned-on immune cells.

Antiandrogens Spironolactone, cyproterone acetate, flutamide, and cimetidine, which bind to androgen receptors and block the action of dihydrotestosterone, have been reported to be effective in treating women with AGA who have elevated adrenal androgens; these must not be used in men.

There are several available treatments for Alopecia. Two relatively new drugs minoxidil (Rogaine) and finasteride (Proscar)promote hair growth in a significant minority of patents. UVB is generally used to treat skin conditions but is also used for people with severe hair loss.Steroid injections are commonly used in sites where there are small areas of hair loss on the head or especially where eyebrow hair has been lost. Anti-inflammatory drugs that are prescribed for autoimmune diseases. Corticosteroids can be given as an injection into the scalp or other areas, orally (as a pill), or applied topically (rubbed into the skin) as an ointment, cream, or foam. Hair transplantation is completed by taking tiny plugs of skin, each containing one to several hairs, from the back side of the scalp.

Do you have Hair Loss Problems, read our Hair Loss Help

What Is Alopecia Universalis? Do I Have It?

 Alopecia Universalis 

Answer: Alopecia Universalis is recognized by the loss of all body hair. Most sufferers are children and young adults (below 40 years old), though it can affect people of all ages. In its early stages, the usual ratio of hairs in anagen (growing) and telogen (resting) phases is disturbed and more hairs enter the telogen stage, leading to sudden hair loss in small patches, which gradually widen with time until the hair loss is total. The exact cause is still unknown, although current theories include an autoimmune disease, stress or suggest a genetic basis.

Do you have Hair Loss Problems, read our Hair Loss Help