Alopecia Areata / Patchy Hair Loss Part I - Introduction

Alopecia areata.... Wow, what a big word I used to think. In layman terms, it means patchy hair loss.

I first discovered that I had patchy hair loss when I was in polytechnic, working really hard in school and coping with my part time job to pay school fees. I was really shocked and upset when I discovered that I had patches on my scalp that's bare... Yes... round circles of smooth baldness with no hints of any strands of hair. As I was barely 18/19, I couldn't understand why I am experiencing hair loss issues. I remembered crying badly and hearing suggestions from my Mum that shaving the entire head will help hair regrowth. She even suggested getting a wig.... *Maybe that's why I cried so badly because adults scares you with really creative (CRANKY) ideas.*

Around a year plus back, late 2008, I realized some symptoms coming back again....


Notice the top bare patch? The bottom patches are recovering areas with hair growing out slowly. Fortunately, the current condition is not really visible and can be easily covered.

Taken from National Skin Centre and Wikipedia, I will like to introduce and share more information about this common hair skin disorder:

Alopecia Areata
What is alopecia areata? Alopecia areata is a common skin disorder seen in children and young adults. It is characterized by hair loss in localized round areas on the scalp and occasionally on the eyebrows. A positive family history for alopecia areata is found in 10% to 20% of patients.

Novia: Known to be fairly common amond young adults. Personally I've known 4 other friends who experienced the same condition and only 1 of them is more severe but the others are recovering well.

In short, I understand the condition as a genetic disorder, caused by overactive antibodies which attack hair follicles mistakenly.

What is the chance of hair regrowing?
The prognosis for most children is excellent. Complete regrowth of the hair occurs within a year in 95% of children with alopecia areata. About 30% will have a future episode of alopecia areata. Rarely, all the scalp hair or all the scalp and body hair are lost in the disease.

Wiki:
About 50% of patients' hair will regrow in one year without any treatment. If the affected region is small, it is reasonable to observe the progression of the illness as the problem often spontaneously regresses and the hair grows back. In 90% of cases, the hair will, ultimately, grow back. In the other 10%, only some or no hair will regrow.

What is the cause of alopecia areata?
The cause of alopecia areata remains unknown. An immune mechanism is postulated in which auto- antibodies are produced against the hair follicles and this results in premature shedding of the hair.

Wiki:

Alopecia areata is noncommunicable, or not contagious. It occurs more frequently in people who have affected family members, suggesting that heredity may be a factor. Strong evidence that genes may increase risk for alopecia areata was found by studying families with two or more affected members. This study identified at least four regions in the genome that are likely to contain alopecia areata genes. In addition, it is slightly more likely to occur in people who have relatives with autoimmune diseases.

The condition is thought to be an autoimmune disorder in which the body attacks its own hair follicles and suppresses or stops hair growth. There is evidence that T cell lymphocytes cluster around these follicles, causing inflammation and subsequent hair loss. An unknown environmental trigger such as emotional stress or a pathogen is thought to combine with hereditary factors to cause the condition.

Novia: In short, the cause of alopecia areata is still unknown. I have no direct family members who has alopecia areata but only my father's brother who experienced it. Emotional stress could potentially contribute to it. Hence always wise to be positive and take life easier.

Treatment:

Consult your doctor.

There is no reliable treatment for alopecia areata since spontaneous regrowth occurs in most patients. Many forms of therapy including intralesional or topical steroids, anthralin or contact sensitisation have demonstrated short term hair regrowth, but they do not alter the long term course of alopecia areata. In complete hair loss, wearing a wig may be helpful.

Wiki:
Steroid injections are commonly used in sites where there are small areas of hair loss on the head or especially where eyebrow hair has been lost. Some other medications used are minoxidil, irritants (anthralin or topical coal tar), and topical immunotherapy cyclosporine, each of which are sometimes used in different combinations. Oral corticosteroids decrease the hair loss, but only for the period during which they are taken, and these drugs have adverse side effects.

Novia: In my next article, I will share my personal experience with treating alopecia areata.