What is alopecia areata?

Alopecia areata (also known as coin-shaped alopecia) is a medical condition that occurs in many people. Although not dangerous to health, due to a large amount of hair loss and concentration in one place, it adversely affects aesthetics, causing many people to worry and lack confidence.

What is alopecia areata?

Alopecia areata is a condition in which hair falls out in small patches that make it difficult for patients to notice. This hair loss usually develops when your immune system attacks the hair follicles and causes the hair to fall out.

Alopecia areata can occur on the scalp, eyelashes, eyebrows, facial hair, and other parts of the body. It usually develops slowly and there is a risk of recurrence after many years of treatment.

In general, the amount of hair loss varies from person to person. Some people only have hair loss in a few spots on the scalp, but there are also people who have a lot of hair loss, even more serious, whole-body hair loss.

There is currently no definitive treatment for alopecia areata. However, certain measures can help your hair grow back faster while preventing future hair loss.

Causes of alopecia areata.

Alopecia areata is an autoimmune condition, meaning your body’s immune system mistakes healthy cells for foreign substances. Normally, the immune system functions to protect your body against “invaders” from the outside environment, such as bacteria and viruses. However, when there is alopecia areata, the immune system mistakenly attacks your hair follicles, causing the hair follicles to not function properly, thereby causing hair loss.

Alopecia areata is most common in people with a family history of other autoimmune diseases, such as type 1 diabetes or rheumatoid arthritis. This is also why scientists suspect that genetic factors may contribute to the development of alopecia areata.

Additionally, the researchers also suggest that certain factors in the environment may trigger alopecia areata in people with a genetic predisposition to it.

Is alopecia areata in patches dangerous?

Alopecia areata is not dangerous, but it can be passed from person to person if the cause of the alopecia areata is a scalp fungus.

However, patchy hair loss can also be an outward manifestation of some worrisome diseases related to the immune system (thyroid disease, vitiligo, lupus.).

The hair loss in clusters makes the hair lose its beauty and makes the sufferer feel very insecure.

Does alopecia areata in patches grow back?

Alopecia areata can completely regrow normally. However, it will take more time for the hair to grow evenly and catch up with the rest of the hair.

At the same time, those who suffer from this hair loss and want to recover quickly need to add enough nutrition to the hair and hair germ cells, to help stimulate fast, strong hair growth and limit the return of hair loss.

Symptoms of alopecia areata.

Each person can recognize alopecia areata through some typical signs such as:

Continuous and irregular hair loss: Hair falls out incessantly and locally in areas or spots the size of a dime.

The appearance of small bald patches: Over time, hair loss spreads gradually and causes the patient to go bald in patches (circular or oval). The bald part of the scalp is usually smooth, without scarring, but can cause itching and pain.

In some cases, the patient has not only alopecia areata in 1 patch but also hair loss in patches (such as eyebrows, eyelashes, and beard …)

Who often suffers from alopecia areata?

– Male:

Men tend to experience patchy alopecia areata due to genetic causes more than women. They also often have alopecia areata on the chest, and back, … You should also read the article summarizing the causes of alopecia areata in men.

– Female:

Women often experience a small patch of alopecia areata, which then spreads to a larger area. Unlike men, women often experience additional loss of eyelashes and eyebrows. For women, do not ignore the article summarizing the causes of alopecia areata in women.

How to treat alopecia areata?

Although alopecia areata cannot be completely cured, it can be improved with some of the following treatments:

*Corticosteroids: These are anti-inflammatory drugs indicated for autoimmune conditions. They can be injected into the scalp or used as a pill, ointment, cream, or foam. However, the use of corticosteroids will take a long time to be effective.

*Using Minoxidil (Rogaine): This method is usually applied on the scalp. Some patients notice the effectiveness of the treatment after only 12 months, but some users are quite disappointed with it.

*Topical Immunotherapy: This treatment is used when your hair is falling out heavily or repeatedly. In this therapy, you will use chemicals that help create an allergic reaction, thereby stimulating hair growth. However, it can cause rashes, and itchiness, and often requires repeated treatments for new hair to regrow.

Home hair care for alopecia areata.

In addition to using the medication, you can apply some other hair care methods to help improve the symptoms of alopecia areata. These measures usually include brushing your hair gently, not dyeing it, curling it, or tying it too tightly. In addition, you should also wear a wide-brimmed hat when going outside to protect your hair from the sun.

Managing stress is also an extremely important step in improving alopecia areata. Some studies suggest that excessive stress may be a trigger for the development of alopecia areata and telogen alopecia.