Alopecia is a form of hair loss.
Some people, may need more than vitamins and a few litres of H20 (water) to kick start their journey to healthy hair fabulousness….
…..Some times, instead of growing healthy hair, there are those suffering male and female hair loss.
It can affect men and women in different ways and the diagnosis can vary as both men and women have different hormones that can affect their hair growth and make their hair shorter just like in the 1920's.
This disease can be quite distressing.
Don’t panic…
…..There are quite a few treatments on the market. Some of which may have to be prescribed by a physician.
There are also those who specialize in hair restoration for women as some of the treatments available are for men only.
There are several forms of Alopecia.
Firstly....
Traction Alopecia
This pretty much self inflicted I'm afraid. This occurs when you have a hairstyle that pulls your hair way too tight! For example...
.... Mega tight cornrows are a real culprit.
Here's a quick test to see if you are putting yourself at high risk of getting traction alopecia.
A. Have you ever been on a lovely holiday only to return with very tight "Bo Derek" inspired braids that you "got on the beach" then after seeing bumps around your hairline realized that they were a BIG mistake?
B. Have you ever been guilty of getting an extra flat, tight weave or Small braids that are soo tight that when you blink, you can feel the back of your neck twinge?
Sound familiar yet?....There's more....
C. Have you ever had a ponytail sooo tight, you look like you've had a brow, neck, face and cheek lift!
D. Or have you had such tight cornrows that when you lay your head on your pillow at night, you are JUST willing you hair to grow an extra 2 inches overnight in order to loosen the tension?
Yes, that was a silly questionnaire but it must have got you thinking? I gave those examples because I've been guilty of similar mistakes. There are other examples.
Too tight hairstyles can do a lot of damage to your hair line and scalp. By tugging so tight, the hair can fall out by the root leave the follicle traumatized.
Another form is...
Alopecia Areata
The condition affects 0.1%–0.2% of humans, occurring in both males and females, although women are more likely to get it than men.
It can appear in people who are otherwise healthy and have no other skin problems.
The most common type of alopecia areata involves hair loss in one or more round spots on the scalp.
The other variations are:
• When hair loss is sprinkled over the whole scalp, in which case the condition is called diffuse alopecia areata.
• Alopecia areata monolocularis is when baldness is in only one spot. But you could find that spot anywhere on your head.
• Alopecia areata multilocularis is where you have hair loss in multiple areas of your head.
• Sometimes it can may be limited only to your beard, in which case it is called Alopecia areata barbae.
• If you lose all the hair on your scalp, the condition could be Alopecia areata totalis.
• If all body hair, including pubic hair, has disappeared, the diagnosis then becomes Alopecia areata universalis.
The last example is rare.
Phew! what a lot to take in. Don't be too worried....
.....There are several different treatment options.
Alopecia Treatment Options
• Firstly, try just keeping an eye on the area for a few weeks. Especially if the patch is small, this is to allow time to see if the hair will regrow on its own.
• If there is no noticeable change after a reasonable amount of time you can look at getting a prescription for a strong topical steroid such as Diprolene or Temovate which can be applied to the patch.
Topical steroid is a type of cream based medication that you would rub on the patch a couple of times a day.
You would have to be very patient as it could take several months for the hair to grow back using the cream.
• Another common therapy is injection of a steroid, such as Celestone into the affected area.
Initial regrowth of hair can be seen in 4-8 weeks and treatments are repeated every 4-6 weeks. The main side effect from any steroid use is thinning of the skin.
• Minoxidil has been used to promote hair growth and has shown cosmetically acceptable results in 30% of cases. You can buy it online in most cases or from a local pharmacy.
By far, the most popular and proven treatment available for hair loss is Minoxidil. New Aromatase-7 for men is a maximum strength treatment that has a high concentration of clinically proven ingredients to treat hair loss in men..
• There is also treatment designed to produce a type of skin irritation at the affected area which can potentially stimulate hair growth.
The most common irritant used is called Anthralin. Some studies suggest using minoxidil and anthralin in combination may be more effective.
Finally, there is a "last chance saloon" method called PUVA.
PUVA is also known as photochemotherapy. It involves taking a type of drug called psoralens (P) about 2 hours before measured exposure to long-wave ultraviolet light (UVA).
This treatment is used most commonly in severe cases of psoriasis. The initiation of hair regrowth may take 40-80 treatments and complete regrowth up to 1-2 years.
If all other treatment fails or you have scarring Alopecia such as Central Centrifugal Alopecia, or male pattern baldness your only solution may be hair transplants.