Alopecia Areata
I have these bald patches on my head, what is going on?
Alopecia areata is a sudden loss of hair that occurs in patches and most commonly looks like round bald spots on the scalp. Other areas beside the scalp can be affected such as the eyebrows, eyelashes and body. This can occur at any age and often affects children. No one knows for sure what causes alopecia areata, but we do know it is an auto-immune disorder. This means that our body is attacking our normal hair follicles and causes the hair to fall out. Genetics or family history can be a factor for this type of hair loss. However, no one knows for sure what "triggers" this to begin happening. Alopecia areata is not contagious and is not caused by an infection.
If you or your child are diagnosed with alopecia areata blood tests may be ordered to screen for and rule out other auto-immune disorders that patients may be at risk for. These include tests for diabetes and thyroid disorders. Patients with alopecia areata may also be at an increased risk of seasonal allergies, eczema, asthma and sometimes vitiligo.
There are three types of alopecia areata:
- Alopecia Areata: Hair loss in patches
- Alopecia Totalis: Complete loss of all hair on the head
- Alopecia Universalis: Complete loss of hair on the entire body
In people who experience alopecia areata the hair follicles remain "active" or "alive" and hair can spontaneously begin to grow back even without treatment. There is no cure for alopecia areata and treatments are geared towards trying to stimulate the hair follicles to grow hair back faster. Treatment options vary and will be considered based on many different factors.
- Topical steroids: Topical medications containing steroids are often the first line treatment of alopecia areata. They are applied to the affected area once to twice a day for a period of several weeks to months. This is often the best method for children.
- Intralesional steroids: Steroids can be injected below the skin to the places where there is hair loss. This works better than topical steroids, but it often needs to be done several times to achieve results. They can be done every 2-6 weeks depending on the severity of the hair loss.
- Minoxidil: A topical medicine that can help stimulate hair growth, it can be applied to the affected areas for a period of a few months.
- Anthralin: This is a tar based product that is applied for a short period of time then washed off. This medication causes scalp irritation and an allergic reaction which "tricks" the body into regrowing hair.
For some patients stress can play a role. Although there is no scientific evidence to support this, alopecia areata has been known to flare during stressful times for some patients. Trying to maintain a healthy level of stress may be beneficial.
If you are experiencing this, or any type of hair loss, come for an evaluation to see what measures can be used to get your hair growing again.