Alopecia Areata: How to Fight It? The essence of the disease and the story

The most widespread type of alopecia is alopecia areata. It can have its origin almost anywhere; it is most often preceded by viral infections or inflammation, but it can also be a manifestation of another, mostly autoimmune disease.

Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease that affects hair follicles and causes hair loss. It typically appears as discrete bald spots on the head but can cause hair loss in any area of ​​the body where hair grows. Alopecia is the Latin term for hair loss, and areata refers to the “spotted” or focal nature of hair loss. The term alopecia areata is considered an umbrella term that includes several variants, including alopecia or universalis, ophiiasis, inversus, and diffuse alopecia areata.

Alopecia areata: the essence of the disease

The cells of the hair follicles change due to the negative influence, The immune system judges them as foreign and begins to destroy them. Therefore, alopecia areata is referred to as an autoimmune disease. White blood cells mercilessly attack the cells in the hair follicles, the hair stops growing and falls out.

Risks of alopecia areata

The risk of developing alopecia areata during life is approximately 2%. The disease affects children and adults of all skin and hair colors. Peak incidence occurs in the second and third decades; most patients experience onset before the fourth decade. Alopecia areata does not have a significant predominance of gender or ethnicity.

What happens in our body during alopecia areata?

The immune system normally protects your body against foreign invaders, such as viruses and bacteria. However, if you suffer from alopecia areata, your immune system mistakenly attacks your hair follicles—the structures from which hair grows. Due to this destructive action, these follicles shrink and stop the production of hair, which means that after they fall out, new hair will no longer grow.

Alopecia areata is not contagious and is not affected by diet. The disease is not life-threatening, but from an emotional point of view, it is quite burdensome.

Hairless bearings are distinguished by whether they are scarred or not. With non-scarring alopecia, there is significantly higher hope for complete healing and hair return. Corticosteroids (local and general), retinoids and UVA radiation are used for normal treatment; however, all these methods burden the body with unwanted effects. The most modern method of treating alopecia in recent years is excimer laser treatment. It is an effective and very fast treatment that does not burden the body. The treatment has a positive effect on a high percentage of patients. You can enjoy new hair growth in just 6–8 weeks.

Types of alopecia areata

Limited hair loss is characterized by non-inflammatory bald patches in the hair. It is not a painful disease, and we distinguish four types of alopecia areata:

• Common type: lasts three years and does not progress to total alopecia; appears between the ages of 20 and 40.
• Atopic type: starts in childhood and lasts for ten years. It is often accompanied by asthma, hay fever, or atopic eczema.
• Prehypertensive type: appears in families with high blood pressure and affects people at a young age.
• Combined type: this rare disease affects patients after the age of forty and is accompanied by endocrine gland disease.

People affected in this way try to camouflage their defects by wearing wigs and coloring the alopecia areas. Hair loss occurs on different parts of the body, and therefore several types are distinguished.

The above-mentioned Alopecia Areata—islands of hair loss—are formed; Alopecia totalis—complete loss of hair on the scalp; and Alopecia universalis—complete loss of hair and body hair.

What causes alopecia areata?

It shows that alopecia areata is caused by abnormalities in the immune system. Thus, there are diseases of the immune system, which tend to attack its own body. As a result, the immune system attacks specific tissues in the body. In alopecia areata, for unknown reasons, the immune system attacks the hair follicles and disrupts normal hair production. The occurrence of this disease before the third year of life is very rare.

The exact mechanism responsible for hair loss in alopecia areata remains unclear. Loss of immune privilege in anagen hair follicles is thought to play a key role in pathogenesis, and genetic susceptibility is also thought to contribute. The immune privilege hypothesis states that normal anagen hair follicles exhibit immune privilege, freeing them from immune surveillance and protecting them from autoimmune attacks. The protective immune privilege may be lost in alopecia areata, allowing hair follicle autoantigens to be presented to autoreactive CD8+ T cells. The subsequent autoimmune attack on the anagen hair follicle causes premature transition…

the follicle into the telogen phase, resulting in eventual hair loss.

• healthy hair vs alopecia reata
• Signs and symptoms of alopecia areata
• Alopecia areata is most often asymptomatic, but in some patients (14%), it may cause a burning or itching sensation in the affected area.

The main symptom of alopecia areata is focal hair loss. Hair usually falls out in small, round spots – deposits on the scalp. These dropped places are usually several centimeters. Hair loss can also occur in other parts of the body. You may notice the first tufts of hair on your pillow or in the shower.

Hair loss associated with alopecia areata is unpredictable and random. Hair can grow back at any time and then fall out again. The extent of hair loss and regrowth varies greatly from person to person.

Triggers of alopecia areata can be as follows:

• Atopic dermatitis
• Vitiligo
• Thyroid disease
• Vascular diseases
• Down syndrome
• Psychiatric disorders: anxiety, personality disorders, depression, and paranoid disorders
• Stressful life events in the 6 months before the onset of symptoms

Alopecia areata can be classified as:

• Reticular: hair loss is more extensive and patches blend in
• Ophiiasis: hair loss is localized to the sides and lower back of the scalp
• Sisaipho (reversible opiates): hair loss is significant on the sides and back of the head
• Alopecia totalis: 100% hair loss on the head
• Alopecia Universalis: complete loss of hair and body hair

How is alopecia areata diagnosed?

Alopecia areata is usually diagnosed based on clinical symptoms, but other tests may be done to help with the diagnosis. Doctors usually diagnose alopecia areata by examining areas of hair loss and looking at the nails. They will examine the hair follicles and hair follicle openings using a hand-held magnifying device. They will ask about your medical and family history.

Trichoscopy: an examination of the hair follicle, hair shaft, and scalp using a dermatoscope; symptoms of the active disease include “exclamation point hair,” broken or dystrophic hair, yellow dots, and black dots.

Alopecia areata and its treatment

Although there is currently no guaranteed cure for this condition, certain types of treatment can help hair grow back and prevent further hair loss. At first, very fine and pale hair will begin to grow, but over time, it may begin to thicken and regain its original color.

• A drug called diphencyprone (DPC) achieved interesting results.
• During a clinical study of a dermal solution with the active ingredient diphenylcyclopropenone on 41 patients with alopecia areata, after 6 months of treatment, significant restoration of hair growth on the affected areas of the head was demonstrated in more than 40% of those tested.
• Effects persisted after 12 months of continuous treatment in two-thirds of patients.
• Substances such as minoxidil (Rogaine, Gettik) or finasteride are also used for treatment, which will help stimulate hair growth.
• Other common treatments include steroid injections, corticosteroid creams, and ointments. In some cases, photochemotherapy can be used to promote hair growth.
• Photochemotherapy is a type of radiation treatment that uses a combination of oral treatment and ultraviolet light.

Alternative therapy

Some people with alopecia areata choose alternative therapies to treat their condition.

These may include:

• Aromatherapy
• Acupuncture
• Herbal supplements
• Vitamins

Story: Struggle with a hereditary disease called alopecia areata

All the men in our family suffered from an unpleasant disease called alopecia areata. It is an autoimmune disease that occurs when the body attacks its hair follicles and the hair begins to fall out. Genetics also play a significant role, and since my grandfather, father and his brothers suffered from this disease, I was no exception. This disease has haunted me since I was 16 years old when lines of receding hair formed on my head.

Since I was a teenager, my classmates at school have made fun of me. They often called me nicknames such as bald, bald, and the like. I tried not to show that it bothered me. After all, even an actor like Bruce Willis does not have much hair on his head, and it does not detract from his charisma, and women still fly to him. However, in my mind, I dreamed of having hair like the other classmates.

Alopecia areata is a disease like any other

A person is not responsible for the disease, and there is no reason to be ashamed. Over the years, my condition worsened, and by the time I turned 27, I had only a few hairs left on the top of my head. I tried several available treatments and medications that promised to make my hair grow at the speed of light. The only thing that happened was the redness of the skin, which was often accompanied by burning and discomfort. No ointments or tablets helped me either. Even the doctor could not help me with this problem.

I have tried all available solutions

Friends recommended me a hairpiece. I didn’t like the idea and fought an internal battle before I decided to put fake hair on my head. And the result? I felt it was a mockery of my integrity. The hairpiece either fell off or, when I used more glue, it wouldn’t come down and ended up leaving sticky spots on my skin.

I also started thinking about a hair transplant. However, my fear of injections and surgery dissuaded me from even thinking about it. Another solution was a hair thickener. First, I bought one from an unnamed brand. I liked this solution much more than a hairpiece, and it seemed more natural. However, after a few hours, the purchased fixer started to lose color. I tried to find a better-quality brand with better results. Then Nanogen keratin fibers came to me.

The application was really simple, just shake the container and sprinkle it on sparse areas in the hair.

But what surprised me the most was the natural effect. It didn’t look like spray paint; it looked like real hair. The fixer stays on the head almost all day, and the effect looks natural. Knowing that I will never have naturally thick hair due to my genetics, Nanogen fibers have given me the confidence I lost and the ability to enjoy the feeling of naturally thick hair without a shiny scalp.

After being diagnosed with alopecia areata, I have struggled with hair loss for over ten years. I finally found the most suitable non-surgical solution for me.