Alopecia areata [CAUSES, SYMPTOMS, STAGES & TREATMENT]

Alopecia areata is nothing but hair loss in the form of patches. Discreet small patches of hair are lost from the scalp of the person suffering from Alopecia areata. It is common to lose around 100 strands of hair per day, but excessive hair loss with a specific pattern can be a sign of an underlying medical condition. The medical term for hair loss is Alopecia. And when you experience patchy hair loss in a circular pattern, the condition is called Alopecia areata.

It is autoimmune in nature, which implies that the body is working against its organ. Since hair follicle is also a part of our body, in the person suffering from Alopecia areata, the body feels that the affected region on the head is not a part of the body! So when it occurs the body's immune system starts attacking the healthy hair follicles. Therefore in the affected area, the body is acting against its hair follicles by killing and destroying them with antibodies.

Alopecia Areata Symptoms :-

·         You may witness your hair falling out in clumps during the shower or on your pillowcase when you wake up in the morning.

·          It is noted that hair fall from alopecia areata occurs in smooth, round and coin-sized patches that vary in size, sometimes leading to complete baldness.

·         You may notice hair growing from the patches are narrow at the base in a way that resembles an exclamation mark.

·         Sometimes, if you notice your fingernails becoming thin and formation of white stripes that could be a symptom too.

Alopecia Areata Stages :-

Alopecia Areata is one of the most widespread causes of hair loss affecting nearly 2% of the population at some stage in their lives and hence it doesn’t discriminate on the bases of age. About 147 million people across the globe are affected by alopecia areata and have a lifetime risk of 2.1%. Additionally, there are also subtypes of alopecia areata, namely alopecia totalis, Alopecia Universalis and Diffuse alopecia areata.

The hair loss patches which are formed can be discreet or collude to form large areas. If patches are minimum, then chances of responding to the therapy are good, but in around 2% of patients having alopecia areata, the whole scalp is affected or the whole body gets involved and those patients may turn from Alopecia Areata to Alopecia Totalis and Alopecia Universalis respectively. This means loss of hair, not only from the scalp but also from other parts of the body like eyebrows, mustache, etc. it is usually crony and difficult to treat but such cases are rare. Around 99% of the patients suffering from Alopecia Areata respond well to the treatment.

Alopecia areata causes :-

Alopecia areata is an unpredictable condition and no specific precautions can be taken to avoid it. However, with proper treatment, physicians can help regulate the immune system function resulting in the regrowth of hair.

There is no cure for alopecia areata as of now, but there are effective treatments to tackle this condition.

Alopecia areata treatment :– 

 If you're suffering from alopecia areata, there are effective treatments and medicines available to help with hair regrowth.The symptoms of Alopecia Areata can be easily diagnosed. At the initial stage of Alopecia Areata, the chances of treating the condition are higher. Additionally, if other autoimmune diseases are suspected a skin biopsy and blood tests may be recommended. The duration of these treatments depends on the severity of the condition and can range anywhere from a few weeks to several months. Immune suppressant corticosteroid injections are administered in the regions of hair loss. This suppresses immune responses that cause hair damage to the hair follicles. Often this is the first treatment approach for alopecia areata that starts showing results as early as the fourth week. Extensive alopecia areata is treated using topical immunotherapy, which might take up to three months or longer to show results. Topical applications like minoxidil, anthralin can also be prescribed to be directly applied on the bald patches, in rapidly spreading alopecia areata physician may prescribe oral corticosteroid for a limited time to stabilize the condition. So, if you are suspecting any symptoms of Alopecia areata, have a consultation with your physician without any delay!