Alopecia Areata is a disorder that occurs with our hair where it causes patchy hair loss on the scalp, beard, eyebrow, eyelashes, etc.
Alopecia Areata is known to be an autoimmune disease. However, proper alopecia areata treatment in Pune is well known to provide the best quality services. With good treatment, alopecia areata can be resolved. The treatment also helps in regulating the immune system of the affected person, which in turn helps in the regrowth of hair.
Causes Of Alopecia Areata
As mentioned above, this disorder is autoimmune in nature. That is, the immune system produces antibodies that attack the tissues in the normal body. In this condition, the hair follicles get damaged and result in bald patches. These patches appear abruptly and impact only on a very limited area.
Alopecia Areata is also caused due to factors like genes, other autoimmune conditions, and even other skin conditions. Adding to that disorders and treatments like Anemia, protein deficiency, chemotherapy, and low levels of vitamins in the body can cause hair loss. Alopecia areata is sometimes associated with other autoimmune conditions like,
- Thyroid disease
- Lupus
- Ulcerative colitis
- Vitiligo
- Rheumatoid arthritis.
Risk Factors
- Genetics is particularly involved when this disease occurs in people who are younger than 30. This indicates that they should have at least one member of their family diagnosed with Alopecia Areata.
- The risk of developing this disorder is very high in people who are suffering from other autoimmune diseases.
- Stress can also be another factor that aggravates this disorder.
Symptoms
- The most common symptom which is clearly visible is, one or more well–defined spots of hair loss on the scalp.
- Extreme thinning of the hair in the scalp is also another symptom.
- Eventually, all the hair on your head will fall, and this stage is referred to as, alopecia totalis.
- Rarely, all of the hair present on your body might fall. This phase is called alopecia Universalis.
- Hair loss can occur in the colder month of a year.
- A sudden loosening of hair.
- Sometimes, the very first sign of alopecia areata can be problems related to fingers or toenails.
During this, tiny dents may form with the nails. The nails become thin and have white marks or stripes on them.
Alopecia areata treatment in Pune is best known for treating these symptoms swiftly.
Who Does It Affect?
Alopecia areata is not contagious and tends to occur mostly in people who are 30 – 60 years of age. It can affect older and younger individuals very less frequently. A study says that there are 2.5 million individuals who are affected by this disease in the United States. About 147 million people across the world have this disease. Men and women are equally affected by this disease.
As of now, there is no cure for Alopecia Areata, but the development in dermatology has made effective treatments available to treat the symptoms of this condition.
Below are some of the Alopecia Areata treatments
Alopecia Areata – Treatment
- Intralesional corticosteroid injections
- Topical Minoxidil
- Anthralin cream or Ointment
- Topical Corticosteroids
Intralesional Corticosteroid Injections
This is the most common form of treatment for Alopecia Areata. Corticosteroids are used in this type of treatment to cure the condition. These corticosteroids are injected into the patched area in the form of injections.
This process is repeated until a visible change is seen. Effective results are expected within four weeks.
Topical Minoxidil
In this method, the Topical Minoxidil solution is taken in a small amount and is applied to the scalp once or twice to trigger hair regrowth. People see improved results when it is applied along with Topical Corticosteroid medications. This medication is easy to use and does not have a lot of side effects.
Anthralin Cream Or Ointment
This is also another common treatment for alopecia areata. Anthralin cream is applied to the hairless patches. It is used once a day and washed away after a short amount of time. ( Usually, within 30 – 60 minutes ). In some cases, it can also take several hours. The results will be visible within 8 to 12 weeks.
Topical Corticosteroids
Corticosteroids are said to reduce the inflammation that happens around the follicles of hair. They come in a variety of preparations, strengths, brands. It can be used in various forms like creams, ointments, solutions, foams, lotions, etc. When children are treated with alopecia areata, they can be good adjunct medications. The use of highly potent Topical Corticosteroids has been observed to give 25% improvement in the process of regrowth.
