What is Alopecia?
You may have heard the word, “alopecia” in the headlines recently, as it has been made famous by Jada Pinkett Smith, but what exactly is this disease? Let’s take a look into alopecia, its causes and treatments.
Alopecia is a hair loss disease
Alopecia, also known by the full name alopecia areata, is an autoimmune disease that causes hair loss on the scalp and other areas of the body. Autoimmune diseases cause the body’s immune system to turn on itself and attack healthy cells. The immune system mistakes healthy cells for bacteria or foreign cells that need to be attacked and destroyed.
According to the National Alopecia Areata Foundation, alopecia is an autoimmune disease in which the hair follicles are attacked by the immune system. This condition damages and shrinks the hair follicles and slows and stops hair growth, resulting in small bald patches.
Who can alopecia areata affect?
This condition can affect anyone. Alopecia is not specific to any age, gender or race. However, it typically starts in childhood. Alopecia areata is different from typical balding (male or female pattern hair loss, called androgenetic alopecia), which is caused by genetics.
In the United States, about 6.8 million people suffer from this disease. People with alopecia areata often have a genetic predisposition to contracting the disease, but the chances of getting it and what causes it exactly are not clear. While it has been believed that alopecia is caused by stress, depression or other factors, there is no clear evidence to prove this conclusively.
Does alopecia cause a person to lose all their hair?
Most commonly, people with alopecia have spots of hair loss, about the size of a dime or a bit bigger, the size of a half dollar. These spots may go away completely, or come and go, and in some cases, new ones may appear. About 10-25% of people with alopecia areata will experience the progression of these spots to become severe enough that all the hair is lost. However, because the condition can be treated, this is quite unusual. In most cases, people with alopecia have a manageable number of bald spots that come and go.
How is alopecia treated?
Treatments for alopecia vary from patient to patient, depending on age and the severity of the condition. There are different medications your doctor can direct you to apply to the bald spots to help regrow the hair and then maintain hair growth. These medications include the following:
For children:
Prescription-strength topical corticosteroids
Minoxidil (also known by the brand name Rogaine®)
For adults:
Injections of corticosteroids into the bald areas every 4 to 8 weeks as needed
Minoxidil 2-3 times a day
Topical corticosteroids applied to the bald spots
Topical Anthralin combined with Minoxidil
The Hair Restoration Institute
At the Hair Restoration Institute, you are working with professionals whose experience and expertise in this field is unparalleled. We offer the most modern, state-of-the-art treatments for hair restoration, provided by board-certified, renowned plastic surgeon and hair restoration specialist, Dr. Brain Heil. Dr. Heil is a known and trusted hair transplant surgeon and has experience with all types of hair loss and treatments. Call today for a consultation to get your questions answered about alopecia and hair restoration treatments at The Hair Institute.
