Alopecia Hair Loss

Definition

Alopecia means partial or complete loss of hair and mostly occurs on the scale as well as bearded areas, eye brows and eyelashes. In the non scarring form of this disorder, hair follicle generally re grow hair. Other forms of non scarring alopecia such as physiologic alopecia, in which sudden hair loss in infants, loss of straight hairline in adolescents and diffuse hair loss after childbirth and another non scarring form is alopecia areata generally reversible and self-limiting; occurs most commonly in young and middle-age adults of both sexes. But, scarring alopecia destroys the hair follicle making hair loss irreversible. Both men and women lose hair density according to age, but in different patterns- male-pattern baldness and female- pattern baldness. Male-pattern baldness means, it characterized by a gradual recession of the hairline by form an "M" shape and it may be caused by hormones and genetic predisposition. Unlike the gradual recession of the hairline in male-pattern baldness female-pattern baldness is an overall thinning that maintains the normal hairline.

Causes of Alopecia

The main cause of non scarring alopecia in men and women is and regenetic alopecia, which is hair loss mediated by a chemical known as dihydrotestosterone. This hair loss is related to androgen levels and to aging. Genetic predispositions usually influences time of predisposition commonly influences time of onset degree of baldness, speed with which it spreads, and pattern of hair loss. Various factors that may cause female-pattern baldness such as Hormones, aging, and genetic predisposition, and you may notice that type of cause after a woman reaches menopause. Because estrogen in a woman's body counteracts the small amount of testosterone that's converted to DHT. So after menopause, a woman no longer has the estrogen to counteract the conversion of DHT. Other reasons for alopecia in women such as

• Temporary shedding of hair
• Breaking of hair from such things as styling treatments and twisting and pulling of hair
• Patchy areas of hair loss, an immune disorder causing temporary hair loss.
• It may also be occur due to some medications such as chemotherapy
• It may also be occur due to certain skin diseases.

Predisposing factors of non scarring alopecia also include:

• Radiation
• Various types of drug therapies and drug reactions
• Bacterial and fungal infections
• Psoriasis
• Seborrhea

Signs and symptoms of Alopecia

• Androgenetic alopecia, in which hair loss is gradual and usually affects the thinner, shorter, and less pigmented hair of the frontal.
• In women, hair loss is generally more diffuse and mainly affects the top of the scalp.
• The main symptoms of Alopecia Hair Loss is  Alopecia areata, that  affects small patches of the scalp, but may also occur as alopecia totalis.

Treatment of Alopecia

• You should be used topical application of minoxidil such as peripheral vasodilator,is an oral antihypertensive and it is the preferred treatment of androgenetic alopecia. It's the only FDA-approved treatment for hair loss in women. It may take at least 4 months for results to be seen and must be used continuously.
• If you have alopecia areata, then minoxidil is more effective, although treatment is commonly unnecessary because spontaneous re growth is common.
• Intralesional corticosteroid injections are beneficial for small patches and may produce re growth in 4 to 6 weeks.
• You should be used anthralin, oral inosiplex, and topical nitrogen mustard for the treatment of alopecia areata. Hair loss that persists for more than 1 year has a poor prognosis for re growth.