Monday, April 29, 2024

Alopecia Areata: Symptoms, Causes, Treatment & Regrowth

early symptoms of hair loss

The most common cause of female hair loss worldwide is female pattern baldness, which is also called androgenetic alopecia . This type of hair loss has a strong genetic component and can be inherited from either your mother or father. Alopecia areata is a common condition that causes hair loss anywhere on your body, but it usually affects your scalp. Everyone loses hair when they shampoo or brush, it’s part of the hair growth process. But if you have alopecia areata, you might notice more hair loss than usual.

Symptoms Of Hair Loss In Women

A doctor may need to treat the underlying cause of the condition to reduce hair loss. Some people may experience excessive hair loss shortly after giving birth. This type of hair loss is a temporary condition and usually resolves within a year or sooner. The condition is more likely to occur as a person ages, but it can start at any point after puberty.

How Is Female Hair Loss Treated?

You’re more likely to see signs of balding when you’re middle aged and older, but there’s a lot of variation from person to person. Some people notice signs of hair loss as early as their late teens and early 20s. Other people will be well into their 60s and beyond with a full head of hair and almost no thinning. Early treatment of a receding hairline (frontal fibrosing alopecia) might help avoid significant permanent baldness.

When do dermatologists recommend treatment for hair loss?

If you have alopecia, you can help hold onto your tresses by avoiding behaviors that are known to contribute to temporary and permanent hair loss, Mirmirani says. “As soon as you notice hair loss is happening, you should come in,” says Lauren Eckert Ploch, a dermatologist in Aiken, South Carolina. While alopecia doesn’t typically affect your physical health, the emotional and psychological distress it can cause are very real. In addition, too much vitamin A and certain medications can also cause telogen effluvium.

Alopecia areata causes your hair to fall out in patches. The patches are usually small and round — about the size of a quarter — but the shape and amount of hair you lose may be bigger or smaller. Hair loss is one of the most common side effects of chemotherapy.

early symptoms of hair loss

Are hair loss shampoos and at-home treatments effective?

Nearly two-thirds of participants experienced some kind of improvement after 1 year. Those who began the trial with more pronounced hair loss saw the most benefit from the medication. Otherwise known as Aldactone, spironolactone works to treat hair loss by acting on hormones. Specifically, it binds to androgen receptors and decreases the body’s processing of testosterone. Left untreated, a sexually transmitted infection (STI) can lead to hair loss.

The sooner you get treatment, the more effective it’ll be. In addition, a healthcare provider might recommend forms of light therapy like using the HairMax Lasercomb®. Another FDA-approved laser product is the Theradome LH80 PRO® helmet and low-light laser helmets and caps. One of the most common disorders that dermatologists diagnose and treat, the medical term for hair loss is alopecia.

Your shorter hairs — like eyelashes, arm and leg hair, and eyebrows —have a short anagen phase (about one month). Your scalp hair can last up to six years or even longer. Board-certified dermatologists successfully diagnose the cause of hair loss for many people.

When should I call the doctor?

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While most causes of hair loss are treatable, some may not be. Poisons that can cause hair loss include arsenic, thallium, mercury, and lithium. If you ingest a large amount of warfarin, which is found in rat poisons, it can also cause hair loss. Taking large amounts of vitamin A or selenium is also toxic and can cause hair loss. If you often wear your hair tightly pulled back, the continual pulling can lead to permanent hair loss. Alopecia areata doesn’t typically affect your physical health.

Many females who experience androgenetic alopecia develop it after menopause. Males with this condition tend to lose hair from the temples and crown of the head. In females with androgenetic alopecia, the hair usually becomes thinner all over the head. A person may lose hair as a result of a health-related issue, such as alopecia areata, a nutrient deficiency, or medication use. Treatment for hair loss will depend on the cause, but avoiding heat on the hair and following other lifestyle tips may help. Doctors sometimes prescribe other treatments off-label to reduce the incidence of hair loss in women.

The most common cause of male and female hair loss is androgenetic alopecia, or hereditary pattern balding. Androgenetic alopecia is genetic and is caused by a reaction to androgen and occurs after puberty. It causes gradual hair loss; in women, this is more likely to cause diffuse thinning on the top of the head. That said, there are a number of possible medications and treatments for hair loss caused by female-pattern baldness and other alopecias.

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