Alopecia is a condition affecting humans in which hair is lost
from some or all areas of the body. It only affects 1% of the
population. Although it is not life threatening, it can be
psychologically traumatic.
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Alopecia areata monolocularis: baldness in only one spot on the
scalp Alopecia areata multilocularis: baldness in multiple areas
throughout the entire body Alopecia totalis: all of the hair on the
scalp is lost resulting in a smooth bald head Alopecia universales:
loss of all body hair Alopecia areata barbae: affecting the hair of
the beard region Reticulated areata barbae: hair loss in irregular
patterns, areas of no growth interspersed with areas of normal hair
growth Ophiasis alopecia areata: bandlike hair loss in the temporal
or occipital regions of the scalp Diffusion alopecia areata:
partial hair loss throughout the scalp with no distinct patches
Perinevoid alopecia areata: spots of skin are found to have
properties different from the surrounding skin. Around these spots
of abnormalities are areas where alopecia is noticed Diffues
alopecia areata: hair appears to turn white almost overnight, due
to psychological trauma
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4 Alopecia is not contagious. There are three main phases of
regular hair growth, anagen, catagen, and telogen. Alopecia
primarily affects the anagen phase, recent studies have shown that
alopecia occurs when premature hair in the anagen phase is
precipitated into the telogen phase.. The body's own immune system
attacks the hair follicles and disrupts normal hair formation.
Biopsies of affected skin show immune cells inside of the hair
follicles where they are not normally present, the cause of this is
unknown. No one has found a reason for the actual cause of
Alopecia. However, it is sometimes associated with other autoimmune
conditions such as thyroid disease, vitiligo, lupus, rheumatoid
arthritis, and ulcerative colitis. In some cases, alopecia occurs
within family members, suggesting it may be caused by genes. It is
also more common in patients with chromosomal disorders, such as
Down Syndrome.
Alopecia affects between 0.1%-0.2% of humans, occurring in both
males and females. It occurs far more for females than males.
Alopecia areata occurs in apparently healthy humans with no skin
disorders. Alopecia areata tends to occur mostly in children,
teens, young adults, and females.
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For females, hormonal changes are often a cause of alopecia.
Alopecia can occur after pregnancy or after the discontinuation of
the birth control pill. It is estimated that 45% of women suffer
major hair loss after the birth of their baby. Most cases of
Alopecia start during the later stages during pregnancy. Women who
already have alopecia areata can find that they have complete but
temporary hair re growth around the time of childbirth. Puberty and
menopause have also been suggested as a time of potential alopecia
areata onset or remission. It is estimated that 45% of women suffer
major hair loss after the birth of their baby. 7
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The diagnosis of Alopecia can be very difficult. It may require
a scalp biopsy. The characteristics usually sought for are smooth
patches on scalp and weak, thin hair surrounding the bald patches.
It sometimes can be identified if there is exclamation point hair
left on the scalp. Exclamation point hair is hair that has grown
normally but then breaks off at the ends, leaving short stubs
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In about 50% of the people diagnosed with alopecia, hair will
re grow within a year without any treatment. There are a variety of
treatments that can be used, such as steroid injections, creams,
and shampoos. Other medications are also used such as minoxidil,
irritants, and other topical immunotherapy. There is no 100%
effective treatment or prevention for alopecia, although
elimination of stress has proven to be helpful. Injecting cortisone
medicine into the area of the hair loss may speed up the re growth
of the hair, this treatment is known as interlesional steroid
injection. The most successful of all treatments so far has been
immunotherapy. Immunotherapy is done by provoking a contact
allergic dermatitis in affected areas by applying a concentration
of a material that the patient has been made allergic to. Contact
allergic dermatitis is and itchy skin condition that is caused by
an allergic reaction to the material in contact of the skin. The
downside of using immunotherapy is that the resultant dermatitis is
irritating. 9