Alopecia areata: causes and treatments
by Taniv Ashraf SEO Expert || Website DeveloperWhat is alopecia areata?
"Areata" means bald. It is an autoimmune, non-contagious disease, and in some cases, if not treated early can cause the hair not to grow more. It can also occur in the beard.
Causes of alopecia areata
The body has antibodies that act as "soldiers" in protecting against invaders, such as viruses and bacteria. It is not known for sure why these "soldiers" attack the body itself, in this case, the hair follicles, which are the seeds of hair. These attacks generate inflammation in the follicles, and the hair gradually loses strength to grow naturally.
Hair loss caused by ringworm in children
Alopecia areata differs from Tinea capitis, which causes focal hair loss, and usually occurs in children, not adults.
Evolution of alopecia areata
Alopecia areata is one of the most unpredictable diseases in existence. In some cases, a little hair falls, after three or four months, falls more. In others, the hair, the eyebrows, and all the hairs fall, this is the rarer alopecia areata universalis. But in most cases there is no marked hair loss.
Stress associated with alopecia areata
Although alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease, it is aggravated by stress, and usually manifests itself after a period of great stress or serious illness.
Diagnosis of alopecia areata
Usually, the diagnosis is clinical or made through tests. A biopsy may be done in which a small fragment of the hair follicle is removed and sent for laboratory analysis to indicate the type of hair loss.
Alopecia areata may be accompanied by other autoimmune diseases such as thyroiditis and pancreatic problems due to diabetes.
Treatments for alopecia areata
Topical treatments
Generally, topical treatments with gel, ointment and hair tonic are not effective. As the problem occurs in deeper layers of the skin, the treatment is usually subcutaneous. Minoxidil and anthralin are adjuvant treatments.
Even when doing the treatment correctly, the wires often grow back, but white.
Corticosteroid treatment
When the areas affected by alopecia areata are not very extensive, the disease can be treated with specific corticoid, which reduces inflammation caused by "soldiers", causing it to grow stronger and stronger. It takes several sessions, usually one per month. In some cases, hair does not grow back right after the first session, but if the treatment is early, it usually ends up growing.
Oral Treatments
According to scientific studies, oral treatments are for more aggressive cases of the disease. For a few lesions, topical treatment is the best option, since oral medications have many side effects.
Care of new yarns
After doing the treatment and noticing that your hair is growing, it is not recommended to dye it or do any other treatment that targets it. This new wire is not as strong as a normal one. So, you have to let it grow well before doing these types of treatments.
Created on Oct 14th 2018 23:01. Viewed 192 times.