Alopecia Areata

Alopecia areata is an acquired skin disease that can affect all hair-bearing skin and is characterized by localised areas of non-scarring hair loss. Alopecia areata, as a rule, is rarely associated with any other external or internal medical problems. Most often these bald areas regrow their hair spontaneously.

What is alopecia areata

Alopecia areata is a hair-loss condition which usually affects the scalp.  It typically causes one or more patches of hair loss. Alopecia areata can affect both genders.

An autoimmune disorder, in which the immune system attacks hair follicles, is believed to cause alopecia areata.

For most patients, the condition resolves without treatment within a year, but hair loss is sometimes permanent.  In some cases alopecia areata can be seasonal.

A number of treatments are known to aid in hair re-growth. Multiple treatments may be necessary, and none consistently works for all patients.

What causes alopecia areata?

Current evidence suggests that alopecia areata is caused by an abnormality in the immune system. As a result, the immune system attacks particular tissues of the body. In alopecia areata, for unknown reasons, the body's own immune system attacks the hair follicles and disrupts normal hair formation. Alopecia areata can occasionally be associated with other autoimmune conditions such as allergic disorders, thyroid disease, vitiligo, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and ulcerative colitis. The diagnosis or treatment of these diseases is unlikely to affect the course of alopecia areata. Sometimes, alopecia areata occurs within family members, suggesting a role of genes.

What are the different patterns of alopecia areata?

The most common pattern is one or more well-defined spots of hair loss on the scalp. There is also a form of more generalized thinning of hair referred to as diffuse alopecia areata throughout the scalp. Occasionally, all of the scalp hair is lost, a condition referred to as alopecia totalis. Less frequently, the loss of all of the hairs on the entire body, called alopecia universalis, occurs.

Who is affected by alopecia areata?

Alopecia areata tends to occur most often in adults 30 to 60 years of age. However, it can also affect older individuals and rarely toddlers. It should be distinguished from hair shedding that may occur following the discontinuation of hormonal estrogen and progesterone therapies for birth control or the hair shedding associated with the end of pregnancy. There are a number of treatable conditions that could be confused with alopecia areata.

What is the treatment for alopecia areata?

There are a variety of treatments depending on the period of time of hair loss and the size area/areas effect.  Steroid injections, creams, and shampoos for the scalp have been used for many years and are known to be effective.   Advise from your GP should be sought as to what treatment is the right treatment for you.

DHT and How It Affects Hair Loss

Many people feel that genetics is what causes hair loss, which is only partially true. People from the same blood line will of course have many similar physical characteristics. However, this is not the only cause. 

If DHT were not part of every human in the world today, hair loss would not be nearly such a big problem as it is now. DHT is a hormone. DHT is directly related to and affected by the level of testosterone in the bloodstream.

Because there have been plenty research into hair loss, we are now aware what causes DHT, how this effects hair loss and how the effects can be reduced. 

DHT in men is mostly a result of a decrease or depletion of testosterone in the male body. As for women, it is caused by a depletion of oestrogen, causing the woman to have more testosterone in her body than she should.

The effect of DHT varies in men and women. DHT hair loss in men occurs in patches while women it happens through thinning of the hair. This is more common in male than in females because men have more testosterone. It is a main cause of balding among men.

Anyone that suffers from hair loss may find that by stopping the production of DHT will cause their hair loss problem to diminish. Whilst there is no quick miracle product that will immediately stop the production of DHT there are a number of products that will help to reduce the amount of DHT that is produced.

Effect of Hair Loss on Appearance and Self-Esteem

When people realise they are suffering from some form of hair loss, people instantly wonder what effect this will have on their appearance and whether this means they will look unattractive or older as a result.  It is no wonder then that plenty of men and women will consider hair transplantation to overcome what they perceive to be an age-inappropriate appearance.

People that unfortunately suffer from hair loss do not want to appear older than they, or even older than they wish to portray.  This is not necessarily people being vain and many factors may affect their decision to take such a step.

Reasons for people to get a hair transplant to avoid age-inappropriate appearance can be personal, work-related, or a combination of both. In both personal and work environments, age-inappropriate appearance can substantially influence one's self-regard, self-esteem, interpersonal and work-related relationships.

A person’s age is objectively measured in years, however a person’s appearance can lead to people making assumptions as to how old they may be. 

Most people who are encountered in the workplace or in social environments probably do not know your calendar age unless you revealed it to them, but they quickly make judgments regarding your appearance of age. Along with their assessment of your apparent age as seen through their eyes, they may make some judgments regarding what may be called age-related values.

Believing that people may be making these assumptions have a dramatic impact on us and the way we feel.  Believing that people may deem us to look older or less attractive can cause us to have lower self-esteem and in some cases can cause us to withdraw into ourselves. 

The emotional aspects of living with hair loss can be challenging. Discovery of hair loss is a stressful experience for both sexes, but substantially more distressing for women.

Physical beauty is one of the cornerstones of self-esteem and it is one of the most vulnerable. The self-esteem levels and other measures of self-worth drop significantly when hair loss occurs.

Hair is an important determinant of physical attractiveness and a mean of expressing individuality. Hair loss affects the individual’s feelings of attractiveness. For balding women it is especially hard to live in a society that places great value on youthful appearance and attractiveness.

Because women are famous for spending a lot of time and money grooming, dying, curling, drying, and styling their hair to make it look its best, when they begin to lose their hair, it is extremely traumatic. This cosmetic setback is quite intense when a woman is used to having hair and suddenly finds herself losing it. They can have a lot of trouble dealing with the reality of hair loss.

In extreme circumstances, some people really take hair loss badly and get highly distressed about it, up to the point of getting into depression.

Some people make assumptions that they are losing something about their control of their life, things they really can not reverse when they start losing their hair.

Correcting hair loss may not be merely a matter of halting loss of hair or replacing lost hair. Well-planned and long-term management of hair loss requires professional attention such as that offered by a physician or hair restoration specialist.

If you are suffering from hair loss, and are concerned at all about the effects this may have, it is essential that you consult your GP for their diagnosis as to whether it may be temporary or likely to continue to and progressively get worse