Alopecia areata (‘baldness in spots’) is a form of hair loss, usually from the scalp, although it can affect other areas of the body. The hair loss mostly remains limited to the scalp but in certain cases it can extend to eyebrows, eyelashes, facial hair (beard, mustache), nasal hair and give rise to bald spots anywhere in the body. Alopecia areata is a common condition which arises largely due to a mix of immunological and hormonal factors.
Alopecia areata can affect both men and women and it is not uncommon to see children affected with this disorder. Approximately 2% of the general population worldwide suffers from alopecia areata. We come across many children with alopecia areata.
Alopecia areata
CAUSES
Hormonal cause: high levels of the male hormones (in men as well as in women) can trigger the onset of alopecia areata
Thyroid disorders
Drugs and medications:
Commonest is this group are chemotherapy drugs, certain medicines used for gout, arthritis, depression, hypertension, ischemic heart disease, etc
Large doses of vitamin a can also trigger alopecia
Oral contraceptive pills
Chemical treatment of hair, exposure of hair to excessive heat
Low levels of iron
Poor protein intake
Physical stress: after undergoing some major surgery, or due to some chronic illness, rapid weight loss due to dieting
Sle (systemic lupus erythematosus)
Fungal infection of the scalp
Lichen planus on scalp (with scarring)
CLASSIFICATION
Commonly, alopecia areata involves hair loss in one or more round spots on the scalp.
Hair may also be lost more diffusely over the whole scalp, in which case the condition is called diffuse alopecia areata.
Alopecia areata monolocularis describes baldness in only one spot. It may occur anywhere on the head.
Alopecia areata multilocularis refers to multiple areas of hair loss.
Ophiasis refers to hair loss in the shape of a wave at the circumference of the head.
The disease may be limited only to the beard, in which case it is called alopecia areata barbae.
If the person loses all the hair on the scalp, the disease is then called alopecia areata totalis.
If all body hair, including pubic hair, is lost, the diagnosis then becomes alopecia areata universalis.
SYMPTOMS
- Excessive hair loss in small, round patches, usually in short period of time
- May affect scalp, eyebrows, eyelashes, beard or moustache
- Single or multiple bald (hairless) spots
- Underlying skin usually looks normal
- Generalized thinning of hair referred as diffused alopecia areata over the scalp.
- Complete loss of hair all over the scalp – alopecia totalis
- Extensive hair loss all over the body – alopecia univarsalis.
- Scarred alopecia areata: any patch of alopecia which has a scar formation, as seen in this photo, cannot improve with any medicine.
HOMOEOPATHIC APPROACH
Homeopathy is a wonderful method for treating hairfall. If the correct medicine is chosen, hairfall can resolve very rapidly. As with all homeopathic treatments, the goal is to identify the simillimum, the remedy that most closely matches the patient’s presenting symptoms and mental-emotional state. The power of homeopathy for treating hairfall is out of proportion to the expectation.