Is Alopecia Hair Loss Irreversible?
Some authorities estimate that two out of a hundred suffer with alopecia hair loss in one of its forms. The hair loss can range from small bald patches on one end of the scale to hair loss on the scalp, or even total body hair loss on the other end of the scale.
This simple fact sheet answers the main questions people have regarding alopecia hair loss:
Just what is a 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: A number of bald spots on the head
Barbae: Bald patches only on the beard
Totalis: Hair loss on the whole head and scalp
Universalis: No body hair at all
How does a person get Alopecia hair loss?
This condition can affect anyone – male, female, old, young, from all races. There is an indication that heredity can play a part as about one in five who have the condition have relatives who also suffer with it.
Interestingly though, records show that the parents of most of the children who suffer with alopecia hair loss did not have it themselves. And the reverse is also true, the majority of children whose parents suffer with it did not have alopecia themselves.
It should be noted the condition is not contagious. Alopecia hair loss is classified as an autoimmune disease. It can be set off by a virus or some other factor in the environment which causes the body’s white blood cells, which normally protect, to turn on the cells in the hair follicle responsible for hair growth.
The question on most sufferers’ mind it “Will hair ever grow back”?
Everyone is different. There are various ways in which a person might be affected:
Hair regrows but falls out again
Hair loss is limited to a few patches, it regrows and never falls out again
Hair is lost and then regrows with this sequence repeating itself over many 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 – these are strong drugs which are 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.
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