Alopecia areata facts and Home remedies – is peculiar form of hair loss that usually affects the scalp but can occur on any hair-bearing skin.
- Alopecia areata produces one or more patches of balding without any obvious change in the texture of the affected skin, a non-scarring alopecia.
- Alopecia areata affects males and females.
- It is thought to be an autoimmune disorder, in which hair follicles, are damaged by a misguided immune system.
- For most patients, the condition resolves without treatment within a year, but hair loss is sometimes permanent.
- Many treatments are known to aid in hair regrowth. Multiple treatments may be necessary, and none consistently work for all patients.
What is alopecia areata?
Alopecia areata is an acquired skin disease that can affect all hair-bearing skin and is characterized by localized areas of non-scarring alopecia (hair loss).
- Alopecia areata is occasionally associated with other medical problems.
- Most often these bald areas regrow their hair spontaneously.
- Alopecia areata is rare before 3 years of age.
- There seems to be a significant inherited predisposition for the development of alopecia areata.
What causes alopecia areata?
Current evidence suggests that alopecia areata is caused by an abnormality in the immune system that damages hair follicles. This particular abnormality leads to autoimmunity, a misguided immune system that tends to attack its own body. As a result, the immune system attacks particular tissues of the body. In alopecia areata, for unknown reasons, the body’s own immune system attacks the hair follicles and disrupts normal hair formation. Biopsies of affected skin show immune lymphocytes penetrating into the hair bulb of the hair follicles.
- Alopecia areata is occasionally associated with other autoimmune conditions such as
- The diagnosis or treatment of these diseases is unlikely to affect the course of alopecia areata.
- Sometimes, alopecia areata occurs within family members, suggesting a role of genes.
Alopecia Areata Sign
Hair Loss
- Hair loss is a very common condition and affects most people at some time in their lives.
- Hair loss from breakage of the hair shaft is different than hair loss due to decreased hair growth.
- Androgenetic hair loss is seen in both men and women but is more dramatic in men.
- Thyroid disease, anemia, protein deficiency, chemotherapy, and low vitamin levels may cause hair loss.
- Alopecia areata is a form of hair loss produced by the autoimmune destruction of hair follicles in localized areas of skin.
Alopecia areata Home remedies
As conventional treatments for alopecia are extremely limited, studies that support natural treatments for alopecia are even thinner on the ground.
There are some people that recommend rubbing onion or garlic juice, cooled green tea, almond oil, rosemary oil, honey, or coconut milk into the scalp. While none of these are likely to cause harm, their effectiveness is also not supported by research.
Some people turn to alternative treatment methods such as acupuncture and aromatherapy, although there is little, if any, evidence to support these treatments.
Alopecia areata facts and Home remedies – Causes of alopecia in females
Alopecia can affect your entire body or just your scalp, and it can be temporary or permanent. It could be caused by heredity, hormonal changes, medical conditions, or simply aging. Men are more likely than women to lose hair on their heads.
Excessive hair loss from the scalp is commonly referred to as baldness. The most common cause of baldness is hereditary hair loss as people get older. Some people would rather leave their hair loss untreated and unnoticed. Hairstyles, makeup, hats, and scarves may be used to conceal it. Others opt for one of the available treatments to prevent further hair loss or to restore hair growth.
Hair loss can appear in many different ways, depending on what’s causing it. It can come on suddenly or gradually and affect just your scalp or your whole body.
What kinds of symptoms will I have with alopecia areata?
All types of alopecia areata result in some form of hair loss. There is no way to predict the pattern of hair loss and regrowth you will experience or how severe or long lasting it will be. It’s important to remember that alopecia areata is different for everyone who has it.
Still, there are some common symptoms of alopecia areata that are good to know and recognize. However, the only way to be sure you have alopecia areata is to make an appointment and get a diagnosis from a doctor.
What are my options for treatment and care of affected areas?
Unlike many skin diseases, alopecia areata does not cause rashes, redness, hives or severe itching. Even so, some people with alopecia areata find it helpful to protect exposed skin — the head, ears and face — from damaging sun exposure or other harsh elements. A scalp without hair is more sensitive to cold as well.
Depending on which type of alopecia areata you or your child has, your age, and the extent of hair loss, there are a variety of treatment options available for disrupting or distracting the immune attack and/or stimulating the hair follicle — especially for those who have milder forms of the disease (less than 50% hair loss).
For those who have more than 50% hair loss on their scalp or other areas of the body, there are oral and injectable medications available. However, these medications do not work for everyone. That’s why it’s important to talk with your doctor to discuss the risks and benefits of using any medications.
Signs and symptoms of hair loss may include:
- Gradual thinning on top of head. This is the most common type of hair loss, affecting people as they age. In men, hair often begins to recede at the hairline on the forehead. Women typically have a broadening of the part in their hair. An increasingly common hair loss pattern in older women is a receding hairline (frontal fibrosing alopecia).
- Circular or patchy bald spots. Some people lose hair in circular or patchy bald spots on the scalp, beard or eyebrows. Your skin may become itchy or painful before the hair falls out.
- Sudden loosening of hair. A physical or emotional shock can cause hair to loosen. Handfuls of hair may come out when combing or washing your hair or even after gentle tugging. This type of hair loss usually causes overall hair thinning but is temporary.
- Full-body hair loss. Some conditions and medical treatments, such as chemotherapy for cancer, can result in the loss of hair all over your body. The hair usually grows back.
- Patches of scaling that spread over the scalp. This is a sign of ringworm. It may be accompanied by broken hair, redness, swelling and, at times, oozing.
- Small, round (or oval) patches of hair loss on the scalp, beard area of the face or other areas of the body with hair
- Significant hair loss in a very short period of time
- Hair loss that’s mostly on one side of the scalp, instead of both sides
- “Exclamation point” hairs that are narrow at the base/next to the scalp
- “Stippling” or “Pitting” (rows of tiny dents) on the fingernails
When to see a doctor
If you or your child is experiencing persistent hair loss and would like to seek treatment, see your doctor. If you have a receding hairline (frontal fibrosing alopecia), talk to your doctor about getting treatment as soon as possible to avoid permanent baldness.
When combing or washing your or your child’s hair, talk to your doctor if you notice sudden or patchy hair loss or more than usual hair loss. Sudden hair loss can be a sign of a medical problem that needs to be addressed.
Alopecia areata Findings
People typically lose 50 to 100 hairs a day. This usually isn’t noticeable because new hair is growing in at the same time. Hair loss occurs when new hair doesn’t replace the hair that has fallen out.
Hair loss is typically related to one or more of the following factors:
- Hormonal changes and medical conditions. A variety of conditions can cause permanent or temporary hair loss, including hormonal changes due to pregnancy, childbirth, menopause and thyroid problems. Medical conditions include alopecia areata (al-o-PEE-she-uh ar-e-A-tuh), which is immune system related and causes patchy hair loss, scalp infections such as ringworm, and a hair-pulling disorder called trichotillomania (trik-o-til-o-MAY-nee-uh).
- Medications and supplements. Hair loss can be a side effect of certain drugs, such as those used for cancer, arthritis, depression, heart problems, gout and high blood pressure.
- Radiation therapy to the head. The hair may not grow back the same as it was before.
- A very stressful event. Many people experience a general thinning of hair several months after a physical or emotional shock. This type of hair loss is temporary.
- Hairstyles and treatments. Excessive hairstyling or hairstyles that pull your hair tight, such as pigtails or cornrows, can cause a type of hair loss called traction alopecia. Hot-oil hair treatments and permanents also can cause hair to fall out. If scarring occurs, hair loss could be permanent.
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What you need to know about alopecia areata
Alopecia areata is a common autoimmune skin disease, causing hair loss on the scalp, face and sometimes on other areas of the body. In fact, it affects as many as 6.8 million people in the U.S. with a lifetime risk of 2.1%.
People of all ages, both sexes and all ethnic groups can develop alopecia areata. It often first appears during childhood and can be different for everyone who has it.
Will I have hair loss for life?
With alopecia areata, your hair follicles remain alive and hair can regrow at any time
Did you Know?
Alopecia areata is known as a “polygenic disease.” This means that, unlike a single-gene disease, both parents must contribute a number of specific genes in order for a child to develop it. Because of this, most parents will not pass alopecia areata along to their children. With identical twins — who share all of the same genes — there’s only a 55% chance that if one has alopecia areata, the other will, too. This is why scientists believe that it takes more than just genetics to cause the disease and that other environmental factors also contribute to people developing alopecia areata.
Are there different types of alopecia areata?
With all forms of alopecia areata, your body’s own immune system attacks your healthy hair follicles, causing them to become much smaller and drastically slow down production to the point that hair growth may stop.
Depending on which type and severity of the disease you have, you might experience hair loss in different areas and your hair loss and regrowth may be unpredictable and cyclical (happen over and over) for many years. Though for some people, hair may also regrow in a few months.
Three of the more well-known types of alopecia areata
- Alopecia areata patchy — The most common form, with one or more coin-sized hairless patches on the scalp or other areas of the body
- Alopecia totalis — Total loss of the hair on the scalp
- Alopecia universalis — Complete loss of hair on the scalp, face and body
Currently, there is no cure for alopecia areata. But the good news is that even when your disease is “active,” your hair follicles remain alive. This means that your hair can grow back again — even after a long period of time and even if you have more than 50% hair loss.
Will my child inherit alopecia areata from me?
It’s understandable that adults who have alopecia areata would be concerned about the risks of passing the disease to future children. However, because alopecia areata is so complex, it’s almost impossible to predict whether or not your child will develop the condition.
Scientists believe that multiple factors (both genetic and in the environment) are needed in order to trigger the disease, not just simply family heredity. In fact, most parents will not pass alopecia areata along to their children.
Family history (heredity). The most common cause of hair loss is a hereditary condition that happens with aging. This condition is called androgenic alopecia, male-pattern baldness and female-pattern baldness. It usually occurs gradually and in predictable patterns — a receding hairline and bald spots in men and thinning hair along the crown of the scalp in women.
