Alopecia Areata Hair Loss

Alopecia areata is the condition where hair loss can be experienced in a part of a body that has hair. It usually occurs in the scalp, where there can be baldness in one or few areas.

There are also cases where the whole area goes bald because of alopecia areata. The reason for this is because some people have too many immune cells, which attack healthy cells at times.

This condition of hair loss has three stages. In the first stage, one will notice the sudden occurrence of hair loss, or excessive hair fall. At the second stage, the condition worsens, and the patches enlarge. The progression of the condition takes months, and sometimes years in some cases. The third stage is the growing back of hair; however this rarely happens because 50% of the total number of people affected cannot grow their back without treatment/s. Alopecia areata hairloss became a hot topic of many researches. The studies showed results for coming up with treatments for this condition.

Steroid injections are for speeding up the regrowth of hair.
Topical medications such as steroids in gel or cream formula are introduced to the market for those who are wary of taking medications or injections.
Systemic medications are to be taken only with a doctor’s permission and observation. Oral steroids cannot be taken for a long period of time.
Therapies can also be done to lessen the immune cells attacking the hair cells, thus reducing the risks of having the condition get severe. In a way, this would mean that these therapies stimulate the hair to regrow.

The treatments for one person may not be applicable to another person. Age and severity of hair loss need to be considered first. After that, the doctor will discuss to the patient the kinds of treatments appropriate for his or her case. Also, the patient needs to know the circumstances for each kind of treatment. Since the treatments have side effects, or may cause the patient discomforts at the very least, it is important that he or she knows about them.

Treating this condition is very difficult because alopecia areata is very unpredictable even with the stages identified. As soon as you notice that there is severe hair loss, consult with a doctor. While the above mentioned treatments can be of great help, there is still no permanent treatment for alopecia areata. There are chances that this may reoccur.

For mild cases, modification of hairstyle and/or wearing of hairpiece are both recommended. Usually, when the condition is still a minor case, the possibility of hair regrowth is high. These two recommendations are also highly suggested to people who are still waiting for results of the treatments. The reaction of patients from the treatments vary, it is to be expected that there are some people who will get results faster that others.

Studies regarding alopecia areata are still not finished. The unpredictability of this disease makes it difficult to cure. Researchers are still continuing their studies to learn more about the disease, so that they can find a cure that can permanently treat this condition.