Hair loss or ‘Alopecia’ is a common problem in both men and women, and even children. In the United States alone, an estimated 30 million women and 50 million men have been known to be affected with this condition, either for internal factors (like hereditary), or external (like pollution), or both (like daily stress).
The symptoms of alopecia can show up as early as an individual’s teens with the risk increasing with the advancement of age. While more than 50% of men over the age of 50 suffer from some degrees of hair fall, women mostly begin losing hair after menopause.
In this article, let us throw a detailed look at the diagnosis procedures, as well as the different types of well-researched and modern-day treatments of alopecia/hair fall you can choose from.
Your doctor (skin specialist) can diagnose your hair fall issues (alopecia areata) by studying the intensity of your hair fall simply by examining a sample of your hair under the microscope.
Your dermatologist might as well perform a biopsy of your scalp to ward off other possible conditions that are responsible for your loss of hair, e.g. fungal infections (viz. tinea capitis). While performing a biopsy of your scalp, the doc will need to get a small skin sample of your scalp skin for clinical testing.
You might also need to undergo blood tests in case your doctor suspects some other autoimmune conditions. Performing the specific blood tests primarily depends on the specific disorder that your specialist might suspect. Probably, the doctor will examine your blood sample for the presence of abnormal antibodies, which, if found, would indicate that you have an autoimmune disorder.
However, there are several other types of blood tests that might help your doctor rule out other medical conditions that include the following:
Before you proceed, you should keep in mind that, till date, no known cure for this condition has been discovered. However, there are several types of treatments which you can opt for so as to slow down the possibilities of hair loss in the future, or can help the body grow back your hair faster.
You can apply or rub prescribed medications all over the scalp in order to promote hair growth. The specialist might suggest any one of the number of available over-the-counter (OTC) or prescription medications as discussed below:
If your type of alopecia is mild, and limited to bald spots, steroid injections is a common choice for helping your scalp skin grow back hair on those patches. To promote hair growth, your doctor will inject the steroid using tiny needles into the skin of the areas affected. However, you need to repeat the treatment every one to two months, depending on the intensity of alopecia.
Medicines for alopecia taken orally (pills) primarily functions in two ways, for two different conditions as follows:
Most of us are aware or have heard of this option. Presently, transplanting hair is one of the most common procedures of getting your hair back. This is mainly due to the fact that most type of permanent hair loss affects the top of the head (the region above your skull cap). Thus, this procedure of hair restoration surgery can effectively help you regain the most of your hair that you have left. But remember, the surgical procedures are usually expensive, and might be painful (depending on the skills and experience of your surgeon), with some risks like scarring and/or bleeding.
In this case, a cosmetic surgeon or a dermatologist will remove small skin patches off your scalp (usually from the side or the back of the scalp). However, the surgeon might also need to remove a larger strip, depending on the area of baldness. Next, the surgeon will implant the hair in the affected region, follicle by follicle, which makes the process somewhat lengthy.
When the transplantation is done successfully, your doctor might recommend you to use minoxidil in order to minimize further loss of your hair. You should also remember that, you might need to go through a few surgery sessions for getting the natural effect you want, but if your type of alopecia is hereditary, the receding hairline will eventually progress despite the surgical process.
For the hereditary alopecia cases in both men and women, low-level laser device as a treatment has been approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration). A few studies have also shown that laser therapy can improve the density of hair. However, more medical research is required to prove its long-term effects.
Also known as phototherapy or photochemotherapy, the light therapy is treatment that involves a radiation of UV (ultra-violet) light along with a combination of an oral medication called ‘psoralens’.
With the advancement of natural science, many victims of alopecia areata opt for several types of alternative therapies for treating their symptoms that might include one or more of the following:
Apart from all the treatment procedures mentioned above, you can also go for nonmedical alternatives that are rather safe and relatively cheaper, since you can implement them externally just to cover up the discrepancy. This includes shaving off your hair (while the bald look or hair-shaving designs are in), as well as various fashionable techniques and styling products, wigs, hairpieces, and scarves.
For this, you might want to talk to a hair stylist or a fashion expert to get innovative ideas. Moreover, if your alopecia is due to a medical condition, your expenses for a wig can be covered by medical insurance.
