Whilst all hair loss is technically called alopecia, there are various different types of alopecia and each comes with a different set of problems and solutions. In this article I am going take a look at alopecia areata.
Before looking at alopecia areata it’s important to note that the products listed on this website are mainly geared towards helping people with androgenic alopecia. This type of hair loss is genetic and often referred to as male pattern baldness. It means that hair normally recedes at the front and starts to disappear from the crown of the head. This type of hair loss also affects women, but to a lesser degree.If you suffer from androgenic alopecia please take a look at our hair loss guides, as this is the easiest form of alopecia to treat.
Androgenic alopecia is caused by a hormone called DHT which causes the hair follicles to shrink and stop producing hair. Thankfully hormone blockers are available and this will fix the problem.
Alopecia Areata is the most common form of alopecia and is usually just referred to as “alopecia.” This is type of alopecia means you will have small or large patches of hair loss on your head as the hair falls out in clumps. Alopecia areata can be developed slowly over time or can happen suddenly.
Alopecia Areata effects up to 1 in every 1,000 people and is usually the result of an imbalance in a persons system. For example pregnancy, taking birth control and low thyroid function are all examples of possible causes of alopecia areata.
What tends to happen is that the body deals with this imbalance with an auto immune response. A side effect of the auto immune response is the body perceives the hair follicles to be foreign bodies and so rejects them.
The best course of action is to speak to a doctor immediately as treating this kind of alopecia is tough. Doctors can perform blood tests which will point to the reason for the development of
this condition. Once you have a cause it is often possible to correct this and in so doing, you can cure the condition. However, in reality this is much harder than it sounds and in many cases the sufferer can have the condition for many years with no resolution.
