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Alopecia Areata (‘baldness in spots') is a form of hair loss, usually from the scalp, although it can affect other areas of the body. The hair loss mostly remains limited to the scalp but in certain cases it can extend to eyebrows, eyelashes, facial hair (beard, moustache), nasal hair and give rise to bald spots anywhere in the body.
Alopecia Areata is a common condition which arises largely due to a mix of immunological and hormonal factors.
Alopecia Areata can affect both men and women and it is not uncommon to see children affected with this disorder. Approximately 2% of the general population worldwide suffers from Alopecia Areata. We come across many children with Alopecia Areata. |
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| Understanding Alopecia Areata: |
| The hair is made up of a protein called keratin which is also the main constituent of nails. A specialized structure inside the skin called ‘Papilla' produces the hair as shown in the figure. The papilla is surrounded by a sac-like structure called the ‘Hair follicle' which also surrounds rest of the hair root within the skin. The part of the hair outside the skin surface is called as shaft. |
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| Alopecia Areata is considered to be an auto-immune condition in which the immune system of the body (which protects the body from bacteria and viruses) mistakenly attacks the hair follicles and destroys them. This leads to hair loss in the affected area. |
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| The commonest presentation of Alopecia Areata is appearance of bald patches on the scalp. In most cases, hair falls out in small, round patches about the size of a small coin. The patient may have single or multiple such patches. In some cases these patches may remain static, whereas in some cases the patches may spread to involve larger areas of the scalp. In some cases, hair loss is more extensive. Although it is not very common, the disease can progress to cause total loss of hair on the head (Alopecia Areata totalis) or complete loss of hair on the head, face, and rest of the body (Alopecia Areata universalis). |
| Types of Alopecia Areata: |
Alopecia Areata monolocularis: In this condition there is a single bald spot on the scalp.
Alopecia Areata multilocularis: In this condition there are multiple bald spot on the scalp.
Alopecia Areata totalis: In this condition, the patient loses all the hair on the scalp.
Alopecia Areata universalis: In this condition, all body hair, including pubic hair, is lost.
Alopecia Areata barbae: In this condition, the disease is limited only to the beard region.
Traction alopecia: In this condition, alopecia develops along the frontal margins and temporal margins of the scalp due to constant tension on the hair from being tied very tightly. |
| Symptoms |
1. Excessive hair loss in small, round patches, usually in short period of time
2. May affect scalp, eyebrows, eyelashes, beard or moustache
3. Single or multiple bald (hairless) spots
4. Underlying skin usually looks normal
5. Generalized thinning of hair referred as diffused Alopecia Areata over the scalp.
6. Complete loss of hair all over the scalp – Alopecia Totalis
7. Extensive hair loss all over the body – Alopecia Univarsalis.. |
| Causes of Alopecia (Hair Loss) |
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Genetic predisposition: Genes from our parents influence our tendency to have male or female pattern baldness.
Severe illness.
Iron deficiency.
Following child birth.
Extreme stress.
General anesthesia.
High fever and typhoid.
Thyroid dysfunction.
Hormonal imbalance.
Medical treatments like chemotherapy used in cancer, anticoagulants, beta-adrenergic blockers used to control blood pressure, oral contraceptives and retinoids used in treatment of acne and skin diseases.
Burns.
X-rays.
scalp injuries.
Chemicals used in products to dye hair, bleach, perm hair, purify swimming pools. |
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| Home Remedies and Alopecia (Hair Loss) |
Shampoos and conditioners do not treat baldness but overusing them actually causes dryness of scalp and hair. All shampoos are just scented detergents with lathering agent; even the ones which are called natural, herbal or vitamin enhanced. One should not shampoo every day because they dry up the natural oil of the hair which is very important. Washing hair twice a week is more than enough. Also dilute the shampoo before using because they are too concentrated. Shampoos and conditioners just clean the hair and nothing more; they do not treat alopecia or baldness.
Proper brushing is very important as it distribute the hair's natural oil. It would do more for the long-term health of your hair and scalp than wasting money on haircare products. Start with 10 to 20 strokes a day and try to work up to 100. Be gentle and avoid brushing when your hair are wet.
Yoga helps in relaxation of stress which may be a factor in some cases of hair loss.
A balanced diet including fruits and vegetables should be a norm.
Try to avoid hot curlers, hair dryers, hair straightening, bleaches and cosmetics filled with chemicals eventually result in broken, dry and thinning of hair. People who leave their hair in natural texture and color are better off. Why put stress on your in pursuit of beauty. |
| Homeopathic Treatment of Alopeica (Hair Loss) |
Today the market is flooded with different types of medicines, shampoos, hair oils, lotions and what not as solutions for hair loss. But most of these do not work and actually make the young men and women poorer by few dollors exploiting their psychology.
In allopathy minoxidil, hormone therapy and steroids are used with limited success though the side effects are abundant like skin irritation, palpitations, scarring of the scalp, weight gain, metabolic abnormalities, acne and menstrual problems.
Homeopathy on the other end is an ideal solution. The treatment is decided after a complete and thorough case taking by a qualified homeopathic doctor. In homeopathy there are many remedies for alopecia or hair loss and the homeopath has to analyze your case systematically to choose the right medicine for you. This is what makes homeopathy safe, sure and systematic for alopecia or hair loss treatment.
Usually the hair grows at the rate of 6 inches per year. Hair which we see are composed of dead keratin cells which are pushed outwards by the new cells produced by the hair follicles.
An adult head has around 100,000 hairs. We naturally loose around 100 hairs per day which are naturally replaced all the time. So, if we find some hairs on the pillow or hairbrush it does not mean that we suffer from alopecia or baldness. |
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