INFORMATION ON ALOPECIA

Alopecia is a highly unpredictable, autoimmune skin disease resulting in the loss of hair on the scalp and elsewhere on the body. This common but very challenging and capricious disease affects approximately 1.7 percent of the population overall, including more than 5 million people in the United States alone.

Types of Alopecia are:

1. Alopecia areata monolocularis describes baldness in only one spot.
2. Alopecia areata multilocularis refers to multiple areas of hair loss.
3. Alopecia areata universalis.

SYNONYMS OF ALOPECIA

Synonyms and related keywords:

1. Traumatic alopecia marginalis.
2. Chignon alopecia.
3. Nonmarginal traction alopecia.
4. Alopecia linearis frontalis.
5. Hot comb alopecia.
6. Follicular degeneration syndrome.

CAUSES OF ALOPECIA

Baldness is not caused by a disease, but is related to aging, heredity, and testosterone hormone. In addition to the common male and females, from a combination of these factors.

Other possible causes of hair loss include:

1. Hormonal change.
2. Fever or serious illness.
3. Chemotherapy for cancer.
4. Excessive shampooing and blower-drying.
5. Nervous breakdown such as hair pulling or scalp rubbing.
6. Emotional and physical stress and Burns.

SYMPTOMS OF ALOPECIA

The main symptoms often are characterized by patches of hair loss on the scalp. It can progress to total hair loss. It can also occur in patient who is getting specific chemotherapies, after receiving this therapy the hair loss generally begins by three to four weeks.

TREATMENT OF ALOPECIA

Microscopic examination can be done of a plucked hair, even skin biopsy to check the real cause. If there is Ringworm on the scalp then it may require an oral drug, because creams and lotions applied to the affected area may not get into the hair follicles to kill the fungus. Many patients, those with mild disease, experience impulsive hair regrowth; on the other hand, outcome of double-blind studies clearly point out that some treatments do encourage hair regrowth even. Some treatments become visible to work on some patients some or all of the time, but no treatment appears to work on all patients all of the time.