According to some estimates, two persons out of every hundred suffer with some form of alopecia hair loss. The condition can range in gravity from small bald patches, to complete hair loss on the scalp to total loss of body hair altogether.
The main questions many people ask about alopecia hair loss are considered here:
What’s a good definition of alopecia hair loss?
Alopecia is pronounced al-oh-PEE-shah with the emphasis on PEE, the third syllable. Alopecia specifically refers to “partial or complete hair loss.” Alopecia Areata is the full title and this is often followed by other words or phrases to indicate which part of the body is affected and to what extent.
Multilocularis: Bald spots on various parts of the head
Barbae: Bald areas affecting just the beard
Totalis: Hair loss on the whole head and scalp
Universalis: A total absence of body hair
How does a person get Alopecia hair loss?
This condition is not limited to a particular segment of the population. It can affect males and females of all ages and races. Heredity can play a role it appears, as 20% of individuals with the condition have family members who suffer with alopecia hair loss.
However, statistics show that the majority of children with alopecia hair loss did not have parents who suffered with it. Conversely, the majority of parents with the condition did not have children who suffered with it.
Alopecia hair loss is not contagious. It is classified as an autoimmune diseases meaning the body’s natural defences can turn on itself. In this case, a virus or some other environmental factor, can trigger off the sequence of events which causes white blood cells to attack the cells in the hair follicle which cause hair to grow.
The main question for many is: Will hair grow back again?
This varies from person to person. Here is a sampling of how different individuals are affected:
Hair regrows but falls out again
Hair loss is limited to a few patches, it regrows and never falls out again
The hair may regrow but then fall out again repeating this cycle over a period of years
In most cases, the regrowth is the same color as the hair before
Occasionally, a person might find that the hair that regrows is whitish in color. Eventually however it returns to the color of the original hair
So how can alopecia hair loss be remedied?
A variety of drugs are currently used which can have a positive effect on hair growth, although there is no ideal solution at this time. These include:
Rogaine, also called Minoxidil because of the main ingredient, is a drug designed to treat male and female pattern hair loss. It has been approved by the FDA.
Corticosteroids – strong drugs used to suppress the immune system
Depending on the extent of the alopecia hair loss, there are different avenues open to cope with the change in a person’s appearance. Some use scarves, hats, clothing, cosmetics, jewelry, and other accessories to hide or divert attention from the hair loss. A very useful resource is the National Alopecia Areata Foundation (alopeciaareata.com) which puts alopecia sufferers in touch with each other through a network and message board arrangement so ideas and thoughts can be shared.