A Closer Look on Alopecia

Alopecia Areata is a hair loss condition from some or all parts of the body. Usually, hair is lost from the scalp area in the shape of small round patches. However, this condition is temporary and hair starts growing after sometime.

How is Alopecia Caused?
Alopecia Areata results in hair loss when the immune system attacks the hair follicles by mistake. Sometimes round hairless patches occur on the scalp while in some cases, hair become thinner with noticeable bald patches. Some individuals also suffer from complete loss of hair known as, Alopecia Totalis. Alopecia Barbae is a subtype of Alopecia Areata where hair is lost from the beard area.

What are the symptoms of Alopecia Areata?
The first sign of Alopecia Areata are bald patches that may occur on the scalp, beard, or any other part of the body. Different areas of the skin can exhibit hair loss for some time and then re-growth. This hair loss may be temporary, and in some cases permanent. Family history, prolonged hair loss, another autoimmune disease, and abnormality in finger and toe nails are some of the symptoms of permanent hair loss.

How is Alopecia Areata treated?
Alopecia Areata has no cure but can be treated in a number of ways. Topical medicines and natural remedies can both be used for Alopecia Barbae treatment or any other form of Alopecia Areata. Corticosteroids, Minoxidil, and Anthralin are some of the commonly used treatments for Alopecia. There also exist some ointments made from plant extracts that helps in treating Alopecia.

Alopecia Barbae Facts

Alopecia Barbae, a subgroup of Alopecia Areata is a hair loss condition that appears on the facial area. People suffering from Alopecia Barbae observe loss of hair from the beard area usually in the form of small, round patches. The root cause of Alopecia Barbae is yet to be indentified; however, it is assumed that heredity and autoimmune disorders might be the causes responsible for this hair loss condition. In some percentage of patients, there’s a complete re-growth of hair on the affected areas within a span of a year and that too, without any treatment. There is no cure for Alopecia Barbae as yet, except for its different treatment methods.

Since, the causes of Alopecia Barbae have been associated with immune disorders so, one of the probable treatments would include medications to suppress the immune system. Some of the medicines that are found to be effective are Minoxidil, Corticosteroids and Anthralin.

Corticosteroids are a slightly painful treatment where the corticosteroid injections are inserted directly onto the affected areas. Some dermatologists may also advice corticosteroid pills along with injections for effectiveness. Minoxidil comes in liquid form which needs to be rubbed onto the affected areas at least twice a day. 5% of Minoxidil helps in hair re-growth and also prevents further hair loss. However, Minoxidil on application can sometimes cause irritation. Anthralin is synthetic and tar based ointment which is to be applied on the bald patches on the skin to stimulate new hair growth. The cream may result in irritation of the skin and therefore, should be applied in appropriate quantity.

People suffering from Alopecia Barbae can also try natural remedies of hair growth. Aloevera, Thyme, Lavender and Rosemary oils can also be used to promote hair growth. If none of the above treatments give the desired results, you should not take unnecessary stress as hair will start growing after a time frame.