“Other than the emotional impact of losing my hair, it doesn’t really affect my day-to-day life, and I don’t even flinch when I have to move the parting in my hair now to disguise it,” Caragh Young, a woman with Alopecia, says when asked how the condition feels.
People react differently to hair loss; some are upset since the issue causes them concerns, while others learn to accept their current situation while looking for a remedy.
Alopecia is a kind of hair loss that creates patchy hair loss (alopecia areata), complete hair loss on the scalp (alopecia totalis), or loss of all body hair (alopecia universalis). In this article, we look at the causes, symptoms, and treatment of alopecia.
Causes of Alopecia
Genetics
Family history contributes to the development of alopecia. Just as you can inherit your father’s thick hair, your mother’s smile, and so on, you can also inherit the genes that cause alopecia if someone in your family has or is suffering from the condition. However, the development of alopecia is not linked to a specific gene. Multiple genes are considered to contribute to the risk of developing this condition.
Autoimmune Disease
Your immune system, which normally works in your favor in fighting bacteria and other infections. In the event of an autoimmune disease, the immune system does not fight against the things it is designed to protect the body from. Rather, it assaults normal body cells and treats them as if they were foreign viruses.
Alopecia occurs when the immune system attacks the hair follicles, which are responsible for hair development. As a result of this attack, these follicles shrink, disrupting the hair growth cycle and contributing to hair loss.
Stress
Hormonal changes can be caused by stress. The hormone cortisol, which is generated by the adrenal glands in reaction to stress, is released by the body when you are under stress. Although cortisol is involved in many physiological functions, such as the regulation of metabolism, elevated cortisol levels have the potential to interfere with the hair growth cycle.
Medical Treatment
Some drugs used in the medical treatment of various conditions have negative impacts. Hair loss is one of the numerous possible adverse effects. The usage of these drugs might result in either temporary or permanent hair loss.
For example, chemotherapy medications used to treat cancer frequently cause hair loss because they target rapidly dividing cells, including hair follicles. However, hair normally regrows when therapy finishes.
Symptoms of Alopecia
Alopecia symptoms may occur in various ways which includes:
- Patchy hair loss: One of the most prevalent indications of alopecia is the rapid loss of hair in small circular patches on the scalp. Your scalp may become irritated before your hair starts to fall out.
- Thinning of the hair: Another indicator is gradual thinning. It can affect both elderly and young persons. This thinning might be broad or restricted to one area of the scalp.
- Regrown hair constantly falls off: Alopecia can cause unpredictable hair loss. When you have alopecia symptoms such as patchy hair loss, the lost hair may return just to fall off again, creating a spot on your head.
Complete loss of hair on the scalp or body. - Nail Changes: Alopecia areata can cause changes in the texture, shape, or appearance of the fingernails and toes, such as pits or ridges.
Treatment of Alopecia
Depending on the severity of the alopecia, hair that has fallen out of the scalp or skin may regrow. However, some people require alopecia treatment, which aims to manage and, in some cases, restore hair growth by treating underlying reasons, supporting healthy hair follicle activity, and managing related symptoms.
Some alopecia treatments include the following:
Minoxidil (rogaine): Think of this approach as hair fertilizing. However, it is a specialized lotion that you apply to your scalp to promote the growth of new hair.
Your dermatologist or physician may prescribe oral medication to assist reduce bodily signals that confuse the cycle of hair growth.
Light therapy can assist in reviving hair follicles so they can begin producing new hair.
Hair transplantation is typically the last option after trying a number of different treatments for hair loss. Hair is moved from one area of your head to the area where you are balding.
Takeaway
Alopecia is a kind of hair loss that creates patchy hair loss (alopecia areata), complete hair loss on the scalp (alopecia totalis), or loss of all body hair (alopecia universalis).
The development of alopecia is not linked to a specific gene. Multiple genes are considered to contribute to the risk of developing this condition. Alopecia occurs when the immune system attacks the hair follicles, which are responsible for hair development. As a result of this attack, these follicles shrink, disrupting the hair growth cycle and contributing to hair loss.
Symptoms of alopecia include patchy hair loss, thinning of the hair, complete loss of hair on the skin and head etc. Light therapy, hair transplants, and oral medications are some of the treatments for hair loss.
