Alopecia Areata – the autoimmune disease

Alopecia Areata or AA is also known as spot baldness. During AA, hair loss usually occurs over a short period of time. The reason for this is because AA is an auto immune disease that is the body’s own white blood cells attack and destroys the hair follicles. Consequently, there are specific or localized bald spots. This is generally considered to be a genetic disease as it has a tendency to percolate down certain families; it affects about 1 to 2 percent of the US population.

AA however is not specific to any race or region nor is it specific to any age group. More than half of the diagnosed group is under 20 years of age. AA does not distinguish between the sexes also that is it is equally prevalent among men and women.

There is a certain diagnostic clue that reveals the existence of AA in an individual. This clue happens to be in the form of a rather peculiarly shaped hair strand. It stands out from the rest of the hairs on the head or scalp. This specific shape is achieved as a result of the immune system cells attacking the lower portion of the hair follicle.

There are quite a few methods to treat AA. One of the more popular methods is to use steroids, that is, these steroids prevent the immune system from attacking the hair follicles. Minoxidil is a kind of medicine that encourages hair growth when applied directly on these bald spots. DNCB is a chemical that is used to treat AA. But continuation application of DNCB has shown to causes rashes on these bald spots.

Telogen effluvium – Stress Related Hair Loss

This hind of hair loss occurs when a large number of hair follicles decide to take rest simultaneously. The result being that there is severe hair loss over an extremely short period of time. It is said that a traumatic even usually triggers Telogen effluvium and the hair does not grow back until the trauma subsides. However it’s a lengthy process as the hair cannot grow back suddenly. First the hair is shed; then it takes about 3-4 months for the new hair to grow. It is generally agreed that Telogen effluvium occurs when the body channels its resources to deal with the trauma rather than to prioritize on hair growth.

Telogen effluvium is a non- scarring disease that is spread across all races. However it seems to be more prevalent in women owing to the hormonal fluctuations that occur during menopause.

Apart from a range of psychologically traumatic events such as divorcee, death of a loved one, loss of a job etc; telogen effluvium is also caused by a wide range of medical issues. Some of them are – Chronic illnesses like cancer, acute illness accompanied by fever, severe hormonal fluctuations, sudden diet changes, surgery, certain kind of medications etc.

Trichotillomania – A Type of OCD

Trichotillomania, like the name suggests is associated with OCD. OCD stands for obsessive compulsive disorder. An OCD occurs when a person has an obsession about something. So in the hair loss realm this is characterized by the particular person’s tendency to tug or pull at one’s hair. It is not uncommon for people with Trichotillomania to not only pull out their scalp hair but also that of the eyelash, body hair etc. Then again the hair will grow back as long as the person stops the pulling and tugging.

People suffering from Trichotillomania fall mainly into two categories –

• In the first category – the individual pulls out his hair because of pain or irritation. It’s not uncommon to find cases where the individual does it for pleasure.
• The second category involves individuals, who have no idea that they are pulling out their hair that is it is a habit for them.

Many a time people suffering from this disease don’t realize that its self induced, they only realise when they decide to consult a doctor. This problem is more prevalent among children than in adults. More women are affected by this than men. It is not uncommon for patients to end up meeting a psychiatrist for treatment.

When it comes to treating Trichotillomania; there are quite few options that are available. Of interest is the fact that majority of the treatments deal with some form of behavior control or the other. This is mainly because most OCDs are centered on behavioral corrections.

For instance for a child – a simple solution would be to cut the hair really short. Hence over time Trichotillomania is likely to wane off as the child won’t be able to pull at the extremely short hair. Similarly for adults and older children – simple behavior control exercises can solve the problem. A simple exercise would be to write down the number of times and the reasons why one tends to pull out one’s hair. From there on it’s only a matter of commitment and personal control. However, for more severe cases like – depression and mental instability related Trichotillomania; it’s better to undergo psycho therapy or behavior modification treatments. Anti – depressants are also commonly used to deal with depression. Clomipramine is one of the most popularly used anti – depressants.

Traction Alopecia – hair loss due to traction

This is a form of hair loss that is attributed to traction. By traction one means the repeated pulling, usage of tight curlers, excessive traction caused due to mechanical straightening etc. To be more specific women are more prone to this problem as they tend to use ponytails, braids etc. This is why it is extremely common in Africa. Excession traction alopecia can cause serious scarring.

It’s important to immediately rectify the problem as once it’s identified early on – one can prevent hair loss. But if it’s identified too late – nothing can be done as hair loss is guaranteed. The only option left would be to go for hair transplantation. Then again one has to have sufficient donor hair for successful hair transplantation.