Hair Loss Disease

Alopecia areata

What is alopecia areata?

Alopecia areata is a disease that badly affects the hair follicles. These are areas on the skin that give hair growth. For most people, their hair falls out in strands, leaving hairless areas the size of small, round strands. Other people may lose more hair. Rarely, the disease causes total loss of hair or body hair.

There is a chance that your hair will grow back, but it is also possible that it will fall out again. You can't tell when your hair will fall out or when it will grow back. You may lose more hair, but your hair loss may also stop completely. The hardest thing about having this disease is not knowing what will happen.

Important points about alopecia areata

•          Alopecia areata is that which causes hair to fall out. Most people lose hair in small, round locks, although some people may lose more or even all of their hair and facial and body hair.

•          Hair can grow back, even when you lose everything. It may also fall off again. No one can predict when your hair may fall out or grow back. You may lose more hair, but your hair loss may also stop.

•          Alopecia areata does not cause pain or make you feel unwell. Nor can it infect others.

•          Genes and the environment together determine whether you will get alopecia areata. Your children will probably not inherit the disease.

•          There is no cure, but there are medications that have been approved for other diseases that help hair grow back. Ask your doctor which medications are best for you.

•          Protect your exposed skin and nose from the sun, dirt, and germs. You can use cosmetics to cover small places where you have lost hair. You can put on wigs, caps or hats, scarves or scarves if you have areas with more hair loss.

Causes of alopecia areata

This condition is considered an autoimmune disease –in which the immune system would attack the hair follicles–, also associated with a genetic predisposition, and which could be triggered by the presence of certain environmental, infectious, endocrine, genetic, psychological, and other factors cause such as eye or dental irritations, or trauma to the head.

Hair loss occurs when some autoimmune factor induces the shedding phase (telogen) and hair loss, as well as paralysis at the beginning of the follicle growth phase (anagen) of a certain area of the body.

Alopecia areata symptoms

Patients usually present with one or more oval or round alopecia plaques, 2 to 5 cm in diameter, located on the scalp, beard or eyebrows. Inside these plates, the skin maintains the follicular holes, but without hair. On the edge of the plate, there are short, thin hairs up and wide down.

One or more outbreaks can occur throughout life, repopulating, initially with fine white hair, which later becomes pigmented.

When alopecia affects the frontal, parietal, and occipital implantation edge of the hair, and retains only one strand of hair, it is called opiatic alopecia. When all the hair falls out of the head it is called alopecia areata totalis, and when hair is lost all over the body it is alopecia areata Universalis.

Diagnosis

A diagnosis should be made that differentiates it from tinea and scarring alopecia. It is important to rule out the presence of other diseases with which it can be associated such as vitiligo, atopy, Down syndrome, thyroid diseases, pernicious anemia, and Addison's disease.

Alopecia areata treatment

Although there is no totally effective and risk-free treatment, minoxidil, corticosteroids, rubefacients, etc. are usually used topically; and systemically corticosteroids and cyclosporins.