Contents
What is Alopecia?
Alopecia is the general medical term for hair loss. Hair often grows back but may fall out again. Sometimes the hair loss lasts for many years.Alopecia is not contagious. The immune system attacks the hair follicles (structures that contain the roots of the hair), causing hair loss.
Types of hair loss and symptoms
The common type of hair loss is male-pattern baldness. This type of hair loss is typically caused by the effects of hormones. This is also termed androgenic or androgenetic alopecia as the cause lies in androgens of male sex hormones. There is a pattern of receding hairline along with thinning of hair over the crown.
Female pattern baldness– there is thinning of hair over the top of the head.
Alopecia areata– this is also termed patchy baldness as there are patches of baldness that come and go. This may commonly affect teenagers and young adults but may affect a person of any age. Alopecia areata is commonly caused due to a problem in the immune system. The condition may sometimes run in families.
Scarring alopecia– this is mainly caused after a scar over the skin. This type of alopecia is called cicatricial alopecia. The hair follicles that hold the roots of the hair may be completely destroyed. This means that the hair would not grow back at the areas affected.
Anagen effluvium is a more widespread hair loss that may affect the whole body apart from the scalp. This is caused most commonly due to cancer chemotherapy.
Telogen effluvium – leads to thinning of hair all over the body rather than baldness in patches. This may be the result of stress of some medications.
Recovery Time
Mild cases of alopecia often get better without treatment within a few months to a year with proper diet and lifestyle. Many people continue to lose and regrow hair for many years.In some cases, patchy baldness may come and go over many months or years. The size of the bald patch or patches and how long they last are quite variable.
If less than half of the scalp is affected and no treatment is started, there is about an 8 in 10 chance of full hair re-growth within one year. With more extensive hair loss, it is less likely that hair will re-grow.
Diagnosis
The diagnosis of alopecia is based on physical symptoms, family and medical history. Certain tests may also be performed to further determine the cause of alopecia and include:- Pull test where several hairs are pulled to see how many come out
- Skin scrapings involves a sample of skin or few hairs taken from the scalp to determine whether an infection is the cause of hair loss
- Punch biopsy involves a small section of the skins deepest layers been removed (this test is usually done when it is difficult to confirm a diagnosis)
- Screening tests to determine whether other diseases are the cause of hair loss
FAQs prepared by doctor
Q1. What is Alopecia?
Alopecia is a general term for hair loss. It can occur on any hairy part of the skin.
Q2. Is Alopecia contagious?
Alopecia is not contagious. It is not due to nerves. What happens is that the immune system attacks the hair follicles (structures that contain the roots of the hair), causing hair loss.
Q3. How much time it takes to recover from alopecia?
Mild cases of alopecia often get better without treatment within a few months to a year with proper diet and lifestyle. Many people continue to lose and regrow hair for many years.
In some cases, patchy baldness may come and go over many months or years. The size of the bald patch or patches and how long they last are quite variable.
If less than half of the scalp is affected and no treatment is started, there is about an 8 in 10 chance of full hair re-growth within one year.
With more extensive hair loss, it is less likely that hair will re-grow.
Q4. What kind of diet one should be advised to prevent alopecia?
A balanced diet rich in vitamins, iron, proteins, biotin along with a proper staple food is good to avoid alopecia due to food deficiencies or malnutrition. Lot’s of animal fat and acidic foods should be avoided.
Q5. What should one do to lessen down the hair fall?
Cut down on the use of hair spray, hair gels, and styling creams that contain harsh chemical ingredients, which can dry out the scalp and cause the formation of flakes. Also harsh treatments such as perms, colours, relaxers etc take a toll on the health of your hair.
Avoid changing your shampoo and conditioner constantly. Stick to one good mild cleansing shampoo for six months before changing.
Excessive exposure to the sun, pollution, rain water and dust without proper protection makes the hair dry, brittle and limp. Use a live in conditioner during the rains to protect it from the humidity and wash and oil it regularly to maintain a healthy scalp.
Handle your hair gently, allowing it to air-dry whenever possible.
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