It is an illness that leads to hair loss. Alopecia areata comes in tiny spots that may appear invisible. However, these tiny spots can meet and become visible. The disease does not only show on the head. It can affect other areas of the body, such as the chest and face.
Hair loss shows through fallen hair. You can find hair strands on the shower. Some people do not notice their bald spots. Instead, other people tell them that they have it on their head. Sometimes, hair grows back naturally. However, some need careful treatment to grow it back.
This article explores important facts about this illness.
1. Treatments
At present, experts do not have the exact cure for this disease. However, some treatments can cause new hair growth. They can also stop more hair damage. There are many treatments for this illness. Therefore, it might take time to find what will be effective for you. Sometimes, people still experience hair loss, even when they take treatments.
Topical
Some of the common care is ointments and lotions. You can buy these as over-the-counter or doctor’s order medicines. Some examples of medicines you can spread on the skin are minoxidil and clobetasol. Aside from these, steroid injections can also cause hair growth. Mild cases of the illness only need injections. You can do this treatment once in two months.
Drugs
Besides, drinking medicines are effective for alopecia areata. These include cortisone tablets and cyclosporine. However, doctors say that these medicines have side effects. Therefore, you should talk to your doctor before drinking these.
Natural
If the treatments above are not effective for you, you can try light therapy. This treatment uses both radiation and drinking medicines. In addition, natural treatments may work. These include vitamins, onion juice, green tea, and more. Take note that natural treatments are not clinically tested. Hence, their effectivity is not well-studied. Further, it is better to ask your doctor before trying these out.
2. Causes
Your immune system fights off harmful organisms. Unfortunately, people with this illness have a damaged defense system. This system also attacks healthy cells. Therefore, they destroy healthy cells like hair follicles. This action leads to hair fall.
Doctors are not sure why it happens. However, family health history can make a person at risk. Further, some studies relate this hair disease with outside factors.
3. Similar Diseases
There are other types of hair loss aside from the main topic. Unlike areata, androgenic alopecia does not show tiny spots. Instead, the hair falls happens in specific parts. It is why the disease is called pattern baldness. Men can suffer from this disease early. They can start falling hair in their 20s. In contrast, women experience this problem much later in life. Most women face this during their 40s.
Androgenic alopecia looks different in males and females. In men, the hair disappears slowly from the front head. It results in an “M” shape. Meanwhile, women’s hair becomes thin on the whole head. The thinning of the hair can start at the crown.
4. Broader Affected Area
Some illnesses cause more hair problems than areata. Among these is alopecia totalis. With this disease, the hair on the head is completely gone.
Alopecia Universalis is the most serious type. This illness causes full missing hair on the whole body. It includes eyelashes, arms, and face. If the illness happens over the whole body, it can be hard to grow new hair. The number of falling and growing hair is not the same for every person.
Symptoms
The main symptom of this disease is missing hair on the head and other body areas. It can include hidden places like the nose. Some people do not experience other symptoms aside from missing hair. However, some people feel itching and burning. Alopecia Universalis and areata share the same causes. Experts relate them to other illnesses. People with hair disease are prone to this problem, like rheumatoid arthritis and vitiligo. In addition, studies say that stress can lead to total hair loss. However, more studies are needed to know the truth.
Other Facts
- Fallen hair can still grow for people with this condition. The attacks of healthy cells can slow down the growth of hair. However, there is a nonstop supply of new cells. So, it means that air can still regrow.
- Drugs for the cure of arthritis are using as treatment. Hence, it can help the growth of new hair in eyebrows, armpit, and other body hair. Doctors suggest cream type to treat loss hair.
- The illness does not show any painful signs. Aside from hair loss, it does not cause any pain at all. So, others do not know that they already have the illness.
- Stress can add to the development of it. Therefore, people who experience a painful event in life may experience this illness.
- Bad habits and poor eating is also a way to get the illness.
