Alopecia areata is characterised by the sudden onset of patchy hair loss.The extent of hair loss can vary greatly from a single coin sized patch to extensive alopecia involving the entire scalp and the rest of the body. Keep reading to find out more about this hair condition.
Who gets alopecia areata?
40-50% of patients develop alopecia areata before 21 years of age, while 20% develop it after the age of 40. (Source: NCBI) Men and women are affected equally, and there is no well-defined racial preponderance. Around 20% of patients have a positive family history for the disease. (Source: NIH)
Alopecia areata causes
Alopecia areata is a form of an autoimmune disorder where the immune systemby mistake attacks hair follicles, causing the hair to fall off. The exact reason for this immune response is not known. However, there can be certain contributory factors and underlying medical conditions that may cause alopecia areata.
- Genetics
- Hormonal changes
- Emotional/physical stress
- Thyroiditis
- Diabetes
How is alopecia areata diagnosed?
Diagnosing alopecia areata is probably one of the easiest things for a hair expert. This is because the appearance of bald patches is so apparent and distinct. Nevertheless, knowing your medical history and physical examination can help doctors to understand your condition better.
Alopecia treatment
Depending on the type of alopecia areata, your age and the degree of hair loss, there are a variety of treatment options available. The most common alopecia areata treatment is local, steroid injections with or without oral steroids. But there are some drawbacks. These do not prevent new hair loss from developing. Also, there are possible health risks and side effects associated with using them for a long period of time. Nonetheless, studies conducted at Dr Batra’s™ have shown that the relapse rate of patchy hair loss after steroids is as high as 50%. This is where homeopathy comes into the picture.
The main goals of homeopathy treatment are to block the immune system attack and stimulate the regrowth of hair. Homeopathic medicines offer excellent relief for such disorders that are triggered by an abnormal immune response of the body. These medications control the progress and spread of bald spots to other regions.
A study conducted in Scotland revealed that 90% patients with patchy hair loss opted for homeopathy as their first choice of treatment. Homeopathy actually helps to slow down the progression of bald patches and fills them with new hair. Not only do homeopathic remedies reduce hair loss, they also protect the body from harmful effects, which are common with conventional medicines used for hair loss.
Homeopathic doctors understand alopecia areata extremely well. The first step in the treatment will be a detailed and thorough diagnosis of your condition. Once a thorough diagnosis is made, an individual and personalised treatment plan will be charted out for you. All treatments prescribed are completely free of side effects. The doctors fully understand the emotional difficulty faced by alopecia areata patients. Along with the treatment, they will counsel and guide you on how to deal with the problem.
While alopecia areata can be challenging to treat, because there is no damage to the hair follicle, all the hair that is lost can come back with the right treatment.
Hair Vitalizing Treatment (HVT)
HVT is a US-FDA approved hair therapy. It strengthens the hair follicles, stimulates hair growth and reduces hair breakage. In this therapy, a low-level laser helmet is placed on the scalp for over a period of 20 minutes. You can see visible results in 5 weeks without any side-effects. It has a success rate of 90%.
STM Treatment
This is a South Korean innovation to regrow your hair naturally. This repairs hair tissue and activates hair growth with minimal or no pain. The procedure takes about 60 minutes once a week.You can see visible results in 6 weeks without any side-effects. It has a success rate of 88%.
GroHAIR
Its French technology is based on a Nobel Prize winning discovery. This is India’s first non-invasive hair treatment therapy. The solution used in this treatment strengthens the hair’s keratin tissue as it can bring the vitamins and amino acids essential for hair growth up to the root of the hair. It takes care of on-going hair lossand the hair loss in the first stage by facilitating blood circulation. The procedure takes about 30 minutes once a week. This alopecia treatmentis convenient and you can witness visible results in 5 weeks. It improves the hair volume and stimulates hair growth efficiently. It has a success rate of 77%.
The duration of homeopathic treatment may vary from one individual to the other. Also, treatment outcomes depend on a host of variables. Long-standing alopecia areata, with widespread hair loss, progresses slowly. In the presence of other systemic illnesses, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, or hypertension, it takes a longer time for one to respond to treatment. Instead, if alopecia areata is of recent origin, with a limited spread, the healing response is often quick.
If you have patchy hair loss, visit your nearest hair clinic and get homeopathy treatment!