Many people are concerned about hair loss or alopecia, a problem that affects both men and women. Alopecia is the term used for describe abnormal hair loss, i.e. baldness, which can be partial or total. This disorder can appear in various parts of the body, not only the head, there is also facial alopecia in eyelashes and beard, in the genitals or armpits.
Although it is a problem that affects mostly men, women are not free from suffering from this disorder. What It also leads to other emotional problems., since hair for women is generally an essential part of the aesthetic part. If you want to know more about what alopecia is, what its symptoms and treatment are, we will tell you below.
what is alopecia
Abnormal hair loss or alopecia can be classified into two types, each of them with different causes and with a very different prognosis. On the one hand, there is scarring alopecia, in this case the hair follicle is completely damaged and this means that the hair cannot grow back, it is therefore irreversible. And on the other hand, there are non-scarring ones, in which case there is the possibility of recovering the hair since the hair follicle is not yet useless.
In the case of there are different types of non-scarring alopecia:
- the androgenic. In the case of men, baldness appears in the frontal and lateral areas of the head, it is a partial and localized hair loss. It is characterized by the fact that the hairline on the forehead is increasingly delayed, which is known as a receding hairline. For women, on the other hand, frontal loss does not usually occur, there are no receding hairlines, the hair is lost in a scattered way and total baldness does not occur.
- alopecia areata. It is a loss of hair in specific areas, forming small patches without hair with a rounded shape. This type of disease is not caused by the destruction of the hair follicle, so is potentially reversible.
- the traumatic. As its name suggests, it is when a trauma occurs and in the area of the scar does not grow back The hair.
- The diffuse. It occurs in a scattered way, with hair loss that can be very abundant and chronic, although it can be reversible. Generally appears a few weeks after what causes it, such as childbirth, illness, very heavy weight loss or severe episodes of stress.
Symptoms and treatment
The symptoms of alopecia are very evident, since it is abnormal hair loss. That is, the average of about 100 hairs a day. Losing hair is normal, it occurs so that new hair can grow that is in constant movement. But when it's overproduced, it's symptom that there may be a problem of alopecia.
The best way to determine if it really is alopecia or if there is some other cause for hair loss is go to the doctor so that he can perform an analysis complete. Afterwards, it is time to visit an expert who will determine what type of alopecia exists and what is the best treatment to follow. Typically, treatment is started with medications such as minoxidil or finasteride.
These are the treatments with the best results and scientific evidence. Minoxidil is applied directly to the skin of the scalp. In the case of finasteride, it is taken orally and what it tries to do is block the production of androgens that can cause alopecia. Other types of medications can also be used, especially when it comes to female alopecia. For example, corticosteroids or cyproterone acetate, as well as the dietary supplement of certain nutrients whose lack can cause baldness.
In any case, the best is put yourself in the hands of health experts who will help you discover the cause of your hair loss and most importantly, the most appropriate treatment in each case.