Alopecia - Must Know Facts!

Alopecia is a medical condition in which the immune system of a person's body attacks the hair follicles resulting in hair loss in a patchy manner. Damage sustained by the hair follicles is not usually permanent. Experts do not know the exact reason to why this condition is prevalent or under which circumstances the immune system attacks the hair follicles. Alopecia is commonly prevalent amongst people under the age of twenty but adults in some cases can also be affected. It can occur in both men and women.

What happens in Alopecia?

If a person is suffering from Alopecia, then he or she will experience clumps of hair falling out, which leads to smooth hairless patches. This can happen due to the following reasons
1. The person has a family history of such a condition
2. The person suffers from an autoimmune disease.
3. Person is prone to allergies.
4. Person experiences extensive hair loss.

Diagnosis

Alopecia can be diagnosed with the help of the person's family history and a physical examination performed by the physician or medical specialist. If a cursory physical examination remains inconclusive, the specialist may recommend you for a hair analysis for further study or a blood test to check for hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism.

Treatment

In most cases as a person suffering from alopecia regrows hair, he/she does not opt for any medical assistance. They use hairpieces, hair products or certain styling techniques in the interim period. However the most common treatment for alopecia is multiple injections of corticosteroids applied to the scalp about 1 cm apart in an interval of 4 to 6 weeks. Another method of re-growing hair is by opting for contact immunotherapy in which a medicine is applied on the scalp once a week. This triggers an allergic reaction which irritates the skin the scalp area and makes it red and scaly. Hair growth is seen in three months since beginning of the treatment. Side effects of contact immunotherapy include severe rash and swollen lymph nodes.