Alopecia: What Are Its Types and Finding the Right Treatments

Thinning hair or too much hair loss? This could be a sign of Alopecia. Alopecia is a medical term for losing your hair. There are several different types of Alopecia.  We will review 5 of the most commonly known types and their treatments.

1. Androgenic Alopecia

• This type of Alopecia can cause partial or complete baldness to men and thinning hair for women. It is mainly known as the male or female pattern hair loss.
• How to treat it? Drugs such as Minoxidil and Finasteride can help. A physician will give women a hormonal test to diagnose or rule out the origin of the hair loss.

2. Alopecia Areata

• This type of Alopecia is also known as patchy baldness. The patches can occur on different parts of your body, but most of them appear as an oval or round patch in the scalp.
• This is a type of auto-immune disease. The immune system attacks the hair follicles, causing a patch of baldness on your body or particularly in your scalp. Once a treatment has been introduced, the hair will grow back naturally.
• How is it treated?  Topical medications or steroid shots from a Dermatologist may help.

3. Alopecia Totalis

• This is a form of Alopecia Areata that can cause total baldness.
• Treatment for Alopecia Areata is often systemic immunosuppressive therapies like methotrexate and prednisone.

4. Traction Alopecia

• This is caused by too much pulling, stretching, and stressing your hair. This may develop when the hair is always pulled into tight ponytails, buns, dreadlocks, weaves, or braids. 
• What is its treatment?  This may be easily treated by switching over to a less stressful hairstyle.  If the hair does not grow back, treatment for this type of Alopecia is often hair transplantation.

5. Cicatricial Alopecia

• This is a type of Alopecia that can cause scarring or inflammation. Destroyed hair follicles are usually replaced by scar tissues, which then causes permanent hair loss in a certain area.
• What is its treatment? Using topical, oral, or injectable medicines can help those affected to regrow their hair back. This can also be treated by a hair transplant surgery, reducing bald spots.

A dermatologist or trichologist will be able to assist with recommendations for your specific type of hair loss.  If you would like a wig or other hairpiece as you treat your alopecia, do visit our website today at tiffanichanel.com.