Alopecia - Causes and Signs of Alopecia

There are various forms of pathology. Among them:

• androgenetic;
• diffuse;
• focal;
• scarring.

Causes

Science has not fully studied this phenomenon, but it is believed that the appearance of baldness is directly related to genetic predisposition. Factors include stress, poor immunity, environmental conditions, and even physical injuries to the skin.

Hair loss in androgenetic alopecia is affected by the harmful effects of the active form of testosterone.

Symptoms

The androgenetic type is thinning of the hair, which leads to baldness of the parietal and frontal areas of the head (in men), and to thinning in the area of the central parting with an increase in the affected area to the sides (in women).

In the affected areas, hair is lost, it can get tangled and roll into lumps. This is manifested by round spots. Hair follicles are easily pulled out. Most often, the disease is a common bald spot, which is also popularly called baldness, it does not hurt, does not itch, but creates a cosmetic defect.

The degree of damage to the hairline by this type of alopecia is determined for men by the Norwood scale, for women - by the Ludwig scale.

Over 95% of males go bald due to androgenic alopecia.

The diffuse form is characterized by abundant uniform loss over the entire scalp due to a failure in hair growth cycles. The current lesion is a consequence of disturbances in the functioning of the whole organism, it is also called symptomatic.

This type has subtypes: telogen and anagen.

The first occurs due to several factors:

• hormonal imbalance;
• nervous stress;
• long-term use of antibiotics, neuroleptics, antidepressants and a number of other drugs;
• surgical interventions, acute infectious diseases, as well as severe chronic diseases;
• strict diets.

The anagen type is formed under the influence of stronger and faster-acting sources on the follicles and the body as a whole (radioactive radiation, chemotherapy, poisoning with strong poisons). In most cases, this type is reversible, since the follicles themselves retain their function.

Focal baldness is characterized by unnatural hair loss due to damage to the cells of the root system by immune defense factors.

It has the appearance of one or more foci of baldness of a rounded orientation. According to the degree of development, there are monofocal, multifocal, subtotal, total and universal. In the latter, damage to the hair occurs throughout the body.

A common feature of the varieties of the cicatricial type is the irreversible destruction of follicles and scarring of tissue in their place.

The cause is infections (viral, bacterial, fungal origin), which cause inflammatory processes around the peritrichs. It also often occurs as a result of physical trauma: wounds, thermal or chemical burns.

Diagnostics

Since the disease is characterized by hair loss, it is easy to see this process with the naked eye.

Only a trichologist or dermatologist can detect the cause, type and stage of the disease.

Usually, the patient is examined comprehensively. They check his hormonal background, immune system, take a blood test for syphilis, do a skin biopsy in the area of baldness, spectral analysis and microscopic examination.

Treatment

Therapy includes taking vitamins (group B, A), eating supplements or foods containing manganese, aluminum, calcium, zinc, copper, iodine. Special shampoos and ointments prescribed by a doctor are used, and in the most difficult cases, a transplant is possible.

The disease does not cause clinical complications. With proper therapy, the hairy area is completely restored in the shortest possible time. Relapses of the disease are subject to treatment, so modern medicine does not dare to call this disease serious and extremely dangerous. A person often suffers exclusively from psychological experiences.

Prevention

It is possible to prevent the disease. Proper care, timely treatment of pathological processes of an infectious and endocrinological nature, avoidance of stressful situations and exposure to harmful substances on the body are necessary.