Alopecia: What Are The Causes And Its Treatment

Alopecia commonly called baldness refers to excessive loss of hair from the scalp or other parts of the body. The severity of alopecia can vary from patchy hair loss from the head to hair loss from the entire body. Whether localized or not, hair loss is a cause of distress for many people. Through this article, we will know important aspects of alopecia and its treatment.

What are the causes of alopecia?

Pattern baldness- The cause of female pattern baldness is not completely understood as yet. The cause of male pattern baldness is due to a combination of the hormone dihydrotestosterone and genetics.

Infection e.g. fungal infection of the scalp or secondary syphilis 

Medications– Medications such as those prescribed for high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes and cholesterol as well as those medicines that can affect the hormonal balance of the body such as steroids, and contraceptive pills can cause hair fall. 

Trauma– Rigorous hair brushing, heat styling as well as making hairstyles such as cornrows and tight ponytails that cause an excessive pull on the hair can lead to hair loss. A psychological problem called trichotillomania is characterized by compulsive bending and pulling of the hair leading to hair loss.    

Trauma due to major surgery, childbirth or poisoning causes a large number of hair to enter the resting phase simultaneously which causes them to shed and thin out subsequently. This is also seen as a side effect of chemotherapy for cancer treatment.  Even radiation due to radiotherapy can cause hair loss from the irradiated areas.

Pregnancy– Three months after delivery the estrogen level in the blood drops, resulting in hair loss. 

Autoimmunity disorder alopecia areata cause patchy hair loss that may range from a single spot to hair loss from the entire body.

Skin problems and skin cancer

Hypothyroidism or underactive thyroid causes hair loss and hair loss is also seen as one of the side effects of medications given for its treatment. 

Genetics – Tendency for early hair loss can run in family due to faulty genes.

Also Read Alopecia Areata - Patchy Hair Loss: Causes, Symptoms and Homeopathic Remedies

What are the symptoms of alopecia?

It is considered normal to shed an average of 100 hair strands in a day. The lost hair must be replaced at the same rate in order to maintain a normal hair volume. The common alopecia symptoms and signs are:-

• More than usual hair strands are left in the basin after washing hair or in the hairbrush after combing hair.
• A thinning crown or wider parting on styling hair
• Hair loss in circular patterns and in unusual areas such as the backside of the head, eyebrows or above the ears.
• Thinning and falling out of hair beginning at the temple and the crown in male pattern baldness and frontal and parietal area in the female pattern baldness.
• Associated skin conditions  such as dandruff, cystic acne with blemishes on the face, limbs and back that arises from the same imbalance in the hormones that result in hair loss 
• Psychological symptoms such as loss of self-confidence, loss of control and even feeling of isolation. The patients worry that they look older and less attractive. Even in patients who lose hair due to cancer chemotherapy, the body image does not get back to the previous state after the hair re-growth.         

Also Read Homeopathic Medicine for Alopecia areata

What are the tips to prevent baldness?

Common tips to prevent baldness

1. To avoid damage to the hair due to environmental factors such as sunlight, dust and pollution one should:-

•  Regularly oil hair
• Wear hats, scarves and bandanas
• Regularly wash hair with good quality shampoo followed by using a conditioner. 

2. To avoid damage to hair due to stress  either at home or at work one should practice stress management techniques like yoga and meditation
3. Exercise regularly 
4. Diet- Eat a balanced diet and drink plenty of fluids throughout the day. A diet rich in proteins is considered good for hair
5. Follow certain grooming techniques such as:-

• Don’t use too hot or too cold water for hair wash
• Avoid rubbing towels to dry wet hair after hair wash. Just dab dry
• Avoid using a hair dryer or blower  
• Avoid brushing or combing wet hair 
• Avoid using hair styling products 
• Avoid running your hand through the hair often 

What is the treatment for alopecia?

Homeopathy has a significant role to play in the treatment of alopecia due to various causes be they physical or psychological. Homeopathic medicines help to stop hair loss, improve the quality of hair and even promote hair growth wherever possible. The best homeopathic medicine for alopecia is constitutional homeopathic medicine. For this, a trained homeopathic physician takes a detailed case record of the patient and elicits symptoms from both the mental and physical spheres. 

Common homeopathic medicines for hair loss

Flouricum acidum– It is very efficient in the treatment of patchy hair loss. The patient as a person is very sensitive to heat in the surroundings.

Sepia officinalis– It is suited to treat hair fall in people who tend to suffer from a headache that is aggravated especially before the menses. The menstrual flow is also scanty in such patients.

Phosphorous– It is suitable to treat hair loss due to dandruff or excessive loss of fluids. The hair falls off in bunches. 

Sulphur – It is suitable to treat hair loss due to an unhealthy scalp. The scalp is dry and there may be severe itching with the falling of hair which is worse on washing the hair. 

CONCLUSION

It is normal to lose some hair in a day. But the lost hair must be replaced at the same rate to maintain hair volume.  Alopecia commonly called baldness refers to excessive loss of hair from the scalp or other parts of the body. Common causes of alopecia include genetics, infection, hormonal imbalance, trauma, certain medications, pregnancy, autoimmunity and certain skin conditions including skin cancer.

Alopecia not only includes physical signs and symptoms such as excessive hair loss on washing or combing hair, wider parting, and circular patches of hair loss from the scalp or other parts of the body but it also causes psychological problems such as lowered self-esteem.

Certain dietary changes and hair care tips have been found to be effective in preventing hair loss. For the treatment of hair loss and other related problems, homeopathy provides a safe and effective option.