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Alopecia

Alopecia areata is a form of hair loss from areas of the body, usually from the scalp. In most cases, hair falls out in small, round patches about the size of a quarter. Because it causes bald spots on the head especially in the first stages, it is sometimes called spot baldness. The most common cause of hair loss is androgenetic alopecia which is thinning of the hair caused by androgens (male hormones) in those who have inherited a genetic tendency towards balding. In 1-2% of cases, the condition can spread to the entire scalp ( Alopecia totalis ) or to the entire epidermis ( Alopecia universalis ).

Hair loss can be an extremely distressing condition for men and women but there are now treatments available that can treat some types of hair loss. In some people, hair loss is more extensive. Although uncommon, the disease can progress to cause total loss of hair on the head (referred to as alopecia areata totalis) or complete loss of hair on the head, face, and body (alopecia areata universalis). People are born with about 100,000 hairs on the scalp. Each day about 100 hairs are shed from the scalp and about the same number enter the growth cycle. With alopecia, the hair growth cycle is shortened, and the follicles produce shorter and finer hairs.

Alopecia areata is a type of hair loss that occurs when your immune system mistakenly attacks hair follicles which is where hair growth begins. It can occur at any age and affects 1% of the population, most commonly children. Although the exact cause is not known, this is thought to be an autoimmune disorder in which the immune system, the body's own defense system, mistakenly attacks the hair follicles, the tiny structures from which hairs grow. 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.

Due to the fact that much of the public is still not familiar with alopecia areata, the disease can have a profound impact on one's life and functional status, both at work and at school. Alopecia areata usually starts with one or more small, round, smooth bald patches on the scalp and can progress to total scalp hair loss (alopecia totalis) or complete body hair loss (alopecia universalis). Although not life-threatening, alopecia areata is most certainly life-altering, and its sudden onset, recurrent episodes, and unpredictable course have a profound psychological impact on the lives of those disrupted by this disease.

Causes of Alopecia

The common Causes of Alopecia :

Stress may be the cause of Alopecia Areata but it is rarely observed.
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.
Exact cause of why the hair follicles undergo these changes is not known, but it is considered to be genetically passed or triggered.
The disease is not contagious but may be hereditary.
Immune system cells called white blood cells attack the rapidly growing cells in the hair follicles, resulting in smaller follicles and immense reduction in hair production. Fortunately, the stem cells that continually supply the follicle with new cells do not seem to be targeted. So the follicle always has the potential to regrow hair.

Symptoms of Alopecia

Some Symptoms of Alopecia :

The hair stops growing and then falls out from the roots.
Hairs that look like exclamation points are sometime seen at the edges of a bald patch.
Some people become self-conscious , anxious or distressed by the appearance of the hair loss.
The nails are affected in about 1 in 5 cases and become pitted or ridged.
Sometimes several small bald patches develop and merge into a larger bald area.

Treatment of Alopecia

Some patients of alopecia areata respond well to drugs that promote hair regrowth, containing minoxidil and finasteride.
Injections of steroids directly into hairless patches on the scalp and sometimes the brow and beard areas are effectively in increases the hair growth in most people.
A cream or ointment containing anthralin has also been found to stimulate new hair growth in those with mild cases of alopecia areata. Anthralin which is a synthetic tar-like substance altering immune function in the affected skin makes the condition better.
Cortisone pills may be prescribed in cases of substantial hair loss.
Patchy alopecia areata generally clears up on its own within several months to several years.

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