Alopecia Awareness, Diagnosis, Treatment and Everything In Between
A lot of people might have heard of alopecia, but not everyone would know what it actually is and how it is diagnosed and treated. As a matter of fact, there would be a lot of people who would not even know that there are various types of alopecia. This article attempts to look at alopecia and all the aspects associated with it. With a series of basic questions, we will attempt to answer some of the most important queries related to this hair condition.
In the simplest of terms, alopecia is hair loss or baldness, wherein there is hair loss from the head or even other parts of the body. It is important to note that alopecia is not just about hair loss, but also the lack of hair growth. The degree of hair loss or the lack of hair growth will help decide which type of alopecia it is.
There are several other types, most of which are described below:
The conditions are normally diagnosed by means of a proper physical examination, in addition to looking through the medical history. The doctor might ask several questions, including family history of hair loss, lifestyle and factors causing stress. The doctor might even pull at a few strands of hair and take them out to look at the follicles. There is the chance that the doctor might do a few tests, including blood tests to check the thyroid levels and hair analysis. In severe cases, the doctor might take a small portion of your scalp to test the same minutely.
While the treatment for each type of alopecia might vary and some of them are untreatable, the general course of treatment will be pretty much the same. For instance, the doctor will prescribe corticosteroids, which will be given in the form of injections, which are meant to supress the immune system.
There are several other medications such as Minoxidil and anthralin, which are also used to help with alopecia. While Minoxidil can assist with hair regrowth, anthralin alters the immune function of the skin.
In the more severe cases, doctors might ask you to wear a hair piece of go in for a restoration process. There are also hair care products which can help with the appearance of hair, allowing the same to look thicker. You could also consider products which will colour the scalp. In certain cases, psoralen with ultraviolet a light or PUVA therapy can be used. In this type of treatment, a medication called psoralen is applied on the skin, and then with the help of UV light, the skin is treated.