Alopecia areata is a disease in which rounded patches of baldness form on the head. Pathology occurs not only in men, but also in women, and even in children. This type of hair loss is also known as alopecia areata. This is one of the most complex and difficult to treat forms of baldness. A person does not feel any discomfort with hair loss. Only when combing a round bald spot is found on the head. The affected areas look like nests, hence the name of the disease.
Causes of disease
The causes of alopecia areata have not been precisely established. It is assumed that the pathology is of an autoimmune nature. The human body begins to perceive the hair follicles as a foreign substance and rejects them. First, a small round area of baldness appears on the head, which then increases.
The following can provoke the development of the diseasefactors:
- Heredity. Often, patchy alopecia is observed in the parents and next of kin of patients.
- Chronic respiratory infections. Untreated dental caries, SARS and influenza lead to the entry of bacteria and viruses into the blood. These microorganisms settle in the hair follicles. When a person's immunity fights an infection, not only the destruction of microbes occurs, but also the destruction of hair follicles.
- Stress and neurotic disorders. In depressive conditions, the blood supply to the hair worsens, which leads to hair loss. In addition, stress disrupts the functioning of the immune system, and the body begins to fight with its own hair follicles.
- Endocrine diseases. Pathologies of the thyroid gland, adrenal glands and pituitary gland also affect the condition of the hair.
- Hormonal imbalance. Alopecia areata in women often appears during pregnancy, menopause, or when taking hormonal contraceptives. During gestation, baldness is not treated, usually the condition of the hair returns to normal after childbirth. In other cases, you must visit a doctor.
- Worm infestation. Alopecia areata sometimes occurs against the background of helminthiases. The immune system fights parasites and at the same time the hair follicles are affected.
The main role in the occurrence of the disease is played by the hereditary factor, which is why the disease is difficult to cure. All other causes of baldness can be eliminated.
Classification of pathology
Alopecia areata occurs in several forms. In medicine, the following varieties of this disease are distinguished:
- Local. There are one or two rounded bald spots on the head.
- Subtotal. The centers of alopecia merge and form large areas. About half of the hair on the head is missing.
- Total. Hair on the head is absent. Eyebrows and eyelashes often fall out.
- Universal. Hair falls out not only on the head, but all over the body. Sometimes the hair grows back, but this lasts for a very short period.
- Ophiasis Celsus. With this form of the disease, you can notice a bald spot in the form of a strip. The area of baldness is located from the temples to the back of the head. This kind of alopecia is typical for children.
- Diffuse. There is baldness only in the upper part of the head.
- Alopecia areata with nail dystrophy. This is the most severe form of the disease, which is difficult to treat. With it, not only the hair follicles are affected, but also the nails. Deformation and delamination of the nail plate occurs.
Different forms of baldness can pass one into another. If local alopecia is noted at the beginning of the disease, then in the future, if left untreated, a subtotal and total variety of the disease may develop. As a result, a person loses more and more hair.
Stages of disease
In its development, alopecia areata passes through several stages:
- Progression. At this stage, a person's hair follicles lose their strength. Areas appear on the headalopecia with inflamed skin. Sometimes there is a slight itch. The hair looks thin, and is easily removed from the follicle when pulled.
- Stationary stage. Baldness stops progressing. Skin inflammation disappears. Hair stops falling out.
- Regression stage. Fluffy blond hair grows on the affected areas. Under favorable conditions, they are strengthened, pigmented and turn into a normal hairline. But with an exacerbation of the disease, baldness may begin again.
Symptomatics
The first sign of the disease is the appearance of areas of baldness. They usually have a round shape and a size of 1 cm to 10 cm. The lesion has clear boundaries. Usually there is a single area of alopecia, but in some cases there may be several. Areas of baldness may merge with each other.
The skin on the affected areas is slightly changed. Sometimes there is slight redness. Crusts and peeling are not observed. Hair near the alopecia zone does not hold well in the follicles and is easily pulled out.
There is an increased fragility of the hair. They have a normal root, but a very thin stem base. Often the hair breaks at a length of about 3 mm.
There is a special kind of disease (ophiasis), in which the bald spot is not round, but longitudinal in the form of a strip. Nails can also be involved in the pathological process, their condition worsens significantly. These types of alopecia are considered the most malignant and difficult to treat.
Alopecia areata in women manifests itselfusually between the ages of 15 and 35. More often this disease affects patients with dark hair. Pathology usually proceeds more favorably than in men. In the body of a woman, estrogens predominate, this prevents severe hair loss. However, if the patient has hormonal disruptions, then baldness can be significant. Due to alopecia, women often experience stress and depression, which in turn increases hair loss.
Alopecia areata in men begins most often from the top of the head. In the upper part of the head, a bald spot is formed. If you do not take action, then the area of \u200b\u200bhair loss grows over time. In advanced cases, the patient completely loses his hair.
Features of baldness in children
Alopecia areata in children is quite rare. Very often skin ailments join the disease: atopic dermatitis, allergic rashes, vitiligo. With alopecia, the child often loses not only the hair on the head, but also the eyebrows with eyelashes.
Most often this disease affects children older than 3 years. A poor prognostic sign is the addition of atopic dermatitis, nail damage and the onset of the disease at an early age. In these cases, the pathology is cured with great difficulty. However, malignant forms of the disease are rarely seen in children. In most cases, the hair can be completely restored.
Diagnosis
When the first signs of alopecia appear, you should consult a trichologist. Usually forDiagnosis is often sufficient external examination of the patient. In some cases, additional laboratory tests are necessary:
- Trichogramma. A few hairs are pulled out from the patient near the affected area and their structure is studied under a microscope.
- Biopsies. From the affected area, skin particles are taken for examination. This allows you to separate alopecia areata from scalp involvement in lupus and lichen lesions.
- Research with a dermatoscope. The structure of the hair follicles and the condition of the skin are being studied.
- Smear from affected areas for fungal infection. This study helps distinguish alopecia areata from ringworm.
Sometimes alopecia is a manifestation of beriberi, as well as endocrine and infectious diseases. In order to identify such pathologies, serological tests, a blood test for biochemistry and hormones are prescribed.
Medication treatment
If there is a small (no more than 3 cm) bald spot on the head, then dynamic observation is necessary for 3 months. If during this time the area is not covered with vellus hair, then a course of treatment for alopecia areata is required.
Locally prescribed corticosteroid ointments and creams: Celestoderm, Dermovate, Clobetasol, Fluorocort. They are applied to areas of baldness. Also used corticosteroid drug "Diprospan" in the form of a solution. It is injected subcutaneously into the affected areas. This treatment helps with hair loss no more than 50%.
In the treatment of alopecia areata in women, the drug "Cimetidine" gives good results. It has an antiandrogenic effect and normalizes the hormonal background in the patient's body. It is available in the form of tablets, capsules and injections. Men should not take this medicine as it may interfere with androgen production.
In the treatment of alopecia areata in men, the drug "Finasteride" is used. It prevents the accumulation of the hormone dihydrotestosterone in the area of the bulbs and prevents hair loss. This remedy is not recommended for children and pregnant women. The drug may cause genetic disorders in the fetus.
Ditranol ointment is used in the treatment of male and female patients. It has a local irritant effect. A slight reddening of the skin occurs at the site of exposure to the drug. Immune cells are activated to fight inflammation and are diverted from the hair follicles. Anthralin, tincture of red pepper, lemongrass, and burdock oil also have irritating properties. Such funds can be used in the stationary stage of the disease, when hair loss has stopped.
Good result gives the drug "Minoxidil". This is a solution that is rubbed into the skin in areas of baldness. It stimulates hair growth.
In addition to local drugs, oral medications are prescribed:
- vitamin complexes "Perfectil", "Pantovigar", "Nutrikap".
- sedatives: Persen, Novopassit.
- drugs that improve blood circulation: Nootropil, Actovegin.
In severe cases, immunosuppressants are used: "Cyclosporin A", "Timopentin", "Groprinosin". They are able to influence the autoimmune nature of the disease. You can take such potent drugs only with a doctor's prescription. These drugs have many side effects.
Physiotherapy
Physiotherapy complements medical treatment for hair loss. To improve the condition of the hair, the following procedures are prescribed:
- Electrophoresis with nicotinic acid. The drug is injected into the skin using a galvanic current. It helps to improve blood microcirculation and metabolism in the dermis. The drug penetrates the bulbs and stimulates hair growth.
- Microcurrents. Electric waves are applied to the affected areas. As a result of this treatment, the nutrition of the hair follicles improves.
- Laser treatment. The rays penetrate the bulb and stimulate hair growth.
- Darsonvalization. With the help of a special apparatus, currents of small impulses are applied to the affected areas. As a result, the blood supply to the follicles and hair growth are improved.
To achieve the result, 10 to 15 physiotherapy procedures are needed.
Surgical treatment
In advanced cases of the disease, conservative treatment does not help. You have to resort to hair transplantation. However, not all experts consider this method of treatment effective. Transplanted hair may not take root if there is a pathology in the body that provoked baldness.
Before hair transplantation, it is necessary to accurately identify and eliminate the cause of alopecia. Only in this case, the new hairline can take root.
Forecast
Prognosis of the disease largely depends on the cause of alopecia. If it is possible to identify and eliminate the factor that provoked baldness, then you can completely get rid of hair loss. With the genetic form of alopecia, the prognosis becomes more serious. It is not always possible to achieve complete hair restoration.
Treatment reviews
You can find a lot of positive feedback on the treatment of alopecia areata by darsonvalization. Patients stopped hair loss after 7-10 treatments. After some time, a new hairline appeared in the areas of baldness. This method has helped many women with postpartum baldness associated with hormonal imbalance.
There are also reports of good efficacy of Minoxidil. It helps even with severe forms of alopecia areata. The reviews report that after the course of treatment, patients began to gradually overgrow areas of baldness, both on the head and on the body. This remedy was effective even with hair loss greater than 60%.
In some cases, topical irritants have helped stop hair loss. If good reviews about the use of burdock oil and bitter pepper tincture. However, such fundshelp during the stabilization of the process of hair loss. With an active focus with loose hair, local irritants can aggravate baldness.
Prevention
If a person has a tendency to hair loss, then it is necessary to take measures to strengthen them. To do this, you need to regularly wash your hair with special shampoos with vitamin supplements, as well as use herbal decoctions for rinsing and therapeutic masks. You should not wear tight hairstyles and pull your hair tightly. It is necessary to resort to staining as little as possible.
It is also important to eat right and avoid stress as much as possible. At the first sign of increased hair loss, it is necessary to visit a trichologist. This will help prevent the development of alopecia.
