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Tips on Dealing with Alopecia Areata
Tips on
Dealing with Alopecia Areata.
What are the Types of
Alopecia Areata?
Depending upon the extend of involvement,
alopecia areata is divided into:
1. Localized alopecia areata
2. Alopecia totalis: involve the whole scalp, eyebrows, beard
3. Alopecia universalis: Total loss of body hair
At times, alopecia areata can be quite stubborn
in its response to treatment. Many patients continue to get recurrences
despite the therapeutic interventions. This definitely calls for further
investigations to rule out or confirm causes like unmanaged stress, direct
pressure or untreated caries teeth.
Tips on dealing with Alopecia
Areata
1. In many cases hair growth occurs
spontaneously in a few months without any medical treatment. A wait and watch
approach is indeed a non expensive, safer alternative for a limited number of
patients.
But if the patches are getting wider and the hair pulling test is positive, it
is wiser to consult your dermatologist.
Hair pulling test: Try pulling out the
hairs at the periphery of the patches. If they come out very easily without
any resistance, the test is positive. Also these hairs will look like
"exclamation marks" with loss of pigment and thinning just above the hair
roots.
2. The first hair re growth after treatment or
spontaneous regrowth will show fine, non pigmented or grey hairs. There is no
need to worry as normal, pigmented hair will come out sooner or later.
3. Do not apply contact irritants from "helpful"
friendly advices or home remedy tips! This may cause further worsening of the
lesions and sometimes even cause permanent scarring if the irritant reaction
is severe. It is to be noted that mild counter irritant effect does actually
produce hair growth in some patients of alopecia areata. Possibly new
inflammatory cells attracted to the area may be flushing out the auto
antibodies and releasing the hair roots from their inhibitory effects.
4. Intradermal injection with corticosteroids is
a very effective treatment for alopecia areata. This procedure should only be
done by an experienced dermatologist as proper dilution, quantity and depth
are necessary to produce optimum results. I have come across quite a number of
patients scarred for life with skin atrophy and leucoderma following undiluted
steroid injections given by pharmacists and non dermatologists. This is very
unfortunate and should be avoided by all means.
5. Like wise, application of topical steroids
should be done only under medical supervision. Super potent steroids applied
on face can cause permanent damage to the facial skin.
6. If you are getting new patches of hair loss
despite treatment, look for hidden infections in the teeth. Get a dental
consultation.
7. Review whether you are causing undue pressure
on the area with tight fitting helmets or scarves, improper shaving techniques
etc. Also correct your posture while sleeping or watching TV.
8. Use hands free sets or blue tooth for your
cell phones. This will reduce the damaging effects of the radio waves emitted
by the sets.
9.
Take a stress test. If your stress level is high, learn how to manage the
stress. A sense of perceived loss of affection from the near and dear may be
the underlying problem in the causation of patchy loss of hair. I have seen
young children of 2-5 years age getting alopecia areata within a few months
after their younger siblings are born. It is clearly the imagined or real loss
of attention and affection from the parents that is the culprit in such cases.
Parents have to take extra care to convey the message that the newcomer in no
way interferes with their affection for the elder one.
10. Once the hair loss has stopped and new
patches stop appearing, you can boost the hair growth with medications like
minoxidil and vitamin supplements. This will hasten the growth and also
provide additional nourishment for the newly sprouting hair roots.
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