Alopecia
Get the treatment you need at Riverchase Dermatology.
Everyone loses hair — between 50 and 100 strands a day. Usually the body replaces the hair loss with new growth, but when your body stops or slows down hair production, you are left with less hair. Sometimes your body will resume hair regrowth on its own, but sometimes the hair will not regrow. This condition is known as alopecia, and having it can be an emotional experience. Most men and almost 40% of women experience some kind of hair loss, which can cause anxiety and affect self-esteem. Most cases can be stopped or treated with the help of a dermatologist.
Alopecia FAQs
When alopcia is hereditary, the hair loss occurs gradually. Sometimes hair loss happens suddenly, causing patchiness.
There are many causes of hair loss. It can be the result of genetics, illness, diet, medication or childbirth. Even the way you style your hair can affect hair loss. Tightly pulling back hair in a cap or wearing ponytails can result in hair loss. The experience of a shocking or stressful incident, situation or environment also may trigger balding.
Hair loss can also be a symptom of chronic illness, such as diabetes or lupus, or the result of a fungal infection such as ringworm, also known as tinea capitis. Medications, including chemotherapy and blood thinners, can also damage hair follicles.
Androgenetic alopecia is the most common type of alopecia, affecting 80 million Americans. It is a characteristic passed down through your family’s genes. The loss of active hair follicles is gradual and may take place over months or years before it’s even noticeable. Typically, the hair follicles that stop producing hair are located along the forehead hairline and along the crown of the head.
This form of hair loss is prevalent in both males and females, who may notice a change in hair growth after menopause. There is no way to avoid androgenic alopecia, and there is no cure.
Alopecia areata is believed to be an autoimmune disorder in which the body attacks the hair, mistaking it for a foreign substance — often in people who are otherwise healthy. Alopecia areata leaves smooth, round patches of hair loss on the scalp and other areas of the body.
Cicatricial alopecia is a rare disease that develops in otherwise healthy people. It destroys a person’s hair follicles, replacing them with scar tissue. This, in turn, inhibits new hair growth.
Women who experience hormone fluctuations during pregnancy may experience hair loss when their hormones return to pre-pregnancy levels. These women are likely to regain the hair growth over time. Menopause is another hormonal surge that may cause the temporary loss of hair growth.
Alopecia Treatment Options
The first step to treating hair loss is to identify the cause. A Riverchase dermatologist can diagnose the source and then recommend the best treatment for you.
Hair loss resulting from health or lifestyle issues may be reversed or lessened by changing damaging habits or by adjusting medications. When these changes do not work, hair loss may be treated with medication to stimulate hair follicles. Some treatments may be prescribed to treat male pattern hair loss by blocking the body’s production of a hormone in the scalp that stops hair growth. If these measures do not work, a hair transplant may offer a solution.
