Alopecia Areata Disease

Alopecia Areata

Information about Alopecia Areata, a hair loss disease.

Alopecia Areata
(al-oh-PEE-shah air-ee-AH-tah)

What is Alopecia Areata?

• Autoimmune skin disease. Affects integumentary system.
• Immune system attacks hair follicles by mistake.
• Results in loss of hair on scalp and other body parts.
• What triggers immune system is unknown (could be virus or genetics). Note: 1 of 5 people with A.A. has a person in their family with it.
• Any hair-bearing site can be affected alone or with scalp.
• Besides hair loss, people with A.A. are usually in good physical health.
• Lack of societal understanding of disease leads to psychological issues.
• Not life-threatening
• Disease is unpredictable:
• Sudden onsets
• Recurrent episodes

Symptoms

• Usually starts with one or several small bald spots on scalp and can progress to:
• Total loss of hair on scalp (alopecia totalis)
• Total loss of hair on entire body (alopecia universalis)
• Can last for varying amounts of time.

Who gets A.A.?

• Affects 1.7% of world population
• Over 4.7 million of all Americans currently living will be affected during their lifetime.
• Occurs without regard to gender, age or race
• Begins most often during childhood

Treatments

• No cure.
• Re-growth can occur without treatment.
• Cases where less than 50% of scalp hair is lost
• Cortisone injections into bare skin. If hair will grow again, it will take four weeks.
• 5% topical minoxidil solution applied twice a day. May grow hair.
• Anthralin cream (synthetic, tar-like substance applied to bare skin and washed off after an hour). If hair will grow again, it will take eight to twelve weeks.
• Cases where more than 50% of scalp hair is lost...
• Cortisone pills. Much stronger than injections.
• 5% topical minoxidil solution applied twice a day. May grow hair.
• Topical immunotherapy. Chemicals are applied to scalp to produce special allergic reaction. 40% of patients will grow scalp hair. Must continue treatment to keep hair.
• Aesthetic aids: Wigs, headscarves, removable eyebrow tattoos, bandanas, hats

Works Cited