Auto-immune Hair Loss Treatment
Auto-immune Hair Loss or alopecia areata may affect many members of your family. This is because that the tendency to it is partly inherited . In a few people, injury or emotional stress to the involved area may trigger the problem.
Alopecia areata is a particular form of auto-immune hair loss that can affect any part of the body in both men and women. This type of hair loss is noticed as a round bald area and is most common in the scalp. There are no other symptoms. In certain rare cases, eyebrows and eyelashes are affected. In some people it can even spread over the whole body. This is what is called alopecia universalis.
Alopecia universalis can affect only a single area, but sometimes multiple areas can also be affected thus affecting different parts of the scalp or beard area. The bald skin is soft and smooth and small broken hairs may be seen at the edge of the patch. This type of auto-immune hair loss can affect any age group.
How does Auto-immune Hair Loss occur ? Such condition arises when the body’s defence or immune system acts as if its own hair is abnormal and attacks it. This leads to hair loss. It is not known why certain small areas are involved. It is occasionally found with other auto-immune diseases affecting the blood, adrenal glands and thyroid gland and skin pigment cells.
Auto-immune Hair Loss treatment option
Treatment may be unnecessary in mild cases where only one patch is present , as the patch will recover spontaneously. Alopecia areata,auto-immune hair loss can be treated by the use of lotions and creams which reduce the immune response. Lotions and steroid creams are usually tried first. The steroid preparation has to be strong and a gel preparation is normally best as it is easiest to use in hairy areas. Your treatment may last for many months. Minoxidil lotion is used most of the time for other forms of hair loss, but has been found to be effective in alopecia areata.
It is normally reserved for use if the steroid creams fail. In situation where cases are severe and resistant, hospital treatment with ultraviolet light therapy may help. In a few patients, creating dermatitis or inflammation of the skin in the area affected, by applying irritant creams or paints, may result in the hair regrowing. This will be best only in severe cases which do not respond to other treatments.
When hair regrowth is noted, the hairs are often fine and white and may not be obvious in the mirror. The hairs thicken and darken with time and so become more easily seen. In a few cases, the hairs thicken but remain white. Hair start s to grow very slowly and it may take many months before the bald patch becomes covered with hair. It is important that you persevere with treatment when you have auto-immune hair loss. In a few people, new patches appear as the old ones regrow. As new patches come up ,they should be treated immediately. In only a small number of patients, the hair loss becomes extensive and does not respond to any treatment.
Once the patches have regrown after any auto-immune hair loss treatment, they are unlikely to go bald again. Certain patient there may be recurrent new patches that develop at different sites over a period of months or years. Full recovery occurs in some patients, in others the condition remains active and the hair fails to regrow.
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