Alopecia

Alopecia

What is ALOPECIA?

Most people lose up to 100 hairs per day as part of the natural cycle. If this cycle is interrupted, or if a hair follicle is damaged, the hair can fall out rapidly than it is regenerated, leading to symptoms such as a receding hairline, hair falling out in patches, or overall thinning. Alopecia is a loss of hair from the head or body, which can result in Baldness. This refers to general hair loss or androgenic alopecia (male pattern baldness). 

 

Types of Alopecia?

Alopecia Areata

Alopecia is the medical term for bald, Areata refers to patchy. Baldness can develop anywhere on the body, including the scalp. This is a condition where the body targets the hair follicles and disturbs the natural hair growth. This means the body's immune system incorrectly attacks the body's own cells. It cane be treated using topical scalp medications.

Traction Alopecia

The hairstyles that you choose to wear will affect your hair over time, it all depends on how. This type hair loss is as a result  from damage to the hair follicle and papilla by applying continuous tension and or pulling over a lengthy period of time.

It usually happens in people who put on some styles, such as: tight ponytails and braids which pulls hair away from the scalp with high tension that it results in breakage. Most of the time, hair regrows after you alter the hairstyle.

Chignon Alopecia

This is a part of the Traction Alopecia family which greatly affects ballet dancers, due to the hairstyle worn. It is where hair loss takes place at the crown of the head. 

Androgenetic Alopecia

This is the most common type of hair loss, that affects both men and women. With men, it begins above the temples and continues around the perimeter and the top of the head, thus leaving a ring of hair along the bottom of the scalp. Many men with male pattern hair loss eventually become bald.

In women, the hair slowly thins all over the scalp, but the hairline doesn’t recede. Most women experience hair loss as a natural part of aging, and it can start anytime after puberty. Unlike the Male Pattern Hair Loss it thins dramatically, but only rarely leads to baldness.

 

Folliculitis Decalvans

This is a bacterial condition that results in irritation to the hair follicles and one of the most familiar kinds of skin infection whereby an inflammatory disorder leads to the destruction of hair follicles. It is often shows by redness and lesions on the scalp that can be itchy with pus like fluid ( pustules). While it is not reversible treatments can stop the hair loss.

Telogen Effluvium

Relax and stop stressing.

This is a type of hair loss that occurs when the hair follicles are pushed prematurely pushed in the growth's resting stage by illness or stress. The best treatment is self-care, take care of your hair.

Alopecia Totalis

 This is an auto-immune disorder that causes total hair loss on the scalp only. It begins as alopecia areata . It can start with very small patches of hair loss and eventually spread over time until there is entire baldness. Thankfully it can be treated with topical treatments and 

Alopecia Universalis

This is an advanced stage of alopecia areata. Genetics and the environment plays a huge role in the onset of this type of hair loss. It is  an auto-immune condition by which a person's immune system  attacks the hair follicles accidentally. It results a condition in a complete loss of hair on both scalp and body.

 

Alopecia and your Mental Well-Being

Our Hair is essential to us, our personality, attractiveness, femininity, sexuality,  symbolically linked to our hair as opposed to a man, therefore hair loss can affect the self esteem and overall body image.

 Hair loss have higher levels of anxiety and depression due to the aforementioned. Anxiety disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, dementia, mood disorders, personality disorders, and suicide or intentionally self-inflicted injury.

 

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