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Alopecia Areata

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Alopecia Areata

Marilyn Sherlock (Trichologist) gives expert video advice on: Will my hair grow back after suffering from alopecia areata? and more...

What is 'alopecia areata'?

Alopecia areata is a rather disfiguring hair loss which normally starts in small patches, can spread over the entire scalp and can also damage hair growth of the eyelashes and eyebrows. It's an auto-immune disorder, which comes very suddenly, and can literally fall within a week or two of the first patch. The hair can be lost within weeks as opposed to other forms of hair loss which take months to occur.

What causes alopecia areata?

Alopecia areata is caused mainly by hereditary traits, where a family has other auto-immune disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis, for example. It can manifest itself in the next generation as alopecia areata. It's also closely associated with thyroid conditions.

How can alopecia areata be treated?

Alopecia areata is an auto-immune disorder. It's generally caused by a relationship to other members of the family who are suffering from an auto-immune disorder. While they may suffer from alopecia areata, others may suffer from rheumatoid arthritis or another auto-immune condition. Alopecia areata is perpetuated, it is believed, by stress, but it doesn't appear to be caused by that. It is closely associated with thyroid malfunction. Whether stress actually triggers it in the first place is a debatable issue, and research into it so far is a bit ambiguous.

Will my hair grow back after suffering from alopecia areata?

When you suffer from alopecia areata, it is unfortunate that no one is able to answer the question, "Will my hair grow back?" We just don't know. In some cases, where there are small patches, and they've appeared quite suddenly and remained small, regrowth is quite often spontaneous. If they begin to spread, the greater the area that is covered, the less chance of recovery, is the general rule, but not always. There are cases where people have lost their hair for over 20 years with alopecia areata who, for some reason which nobody understands - science certainly doesn't - suddenly the hair regrows.

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Tips & Comments
  1. Anonymous

    This is a great inspiring article.I am pretty much pleased with your good work.You put really very helpful information. Keep it up. Leave a comment here...

  2. fmearnsb

    i had this at the age of 9 to 15 i found the best way to treate it is use a pure alivero plant on it and gentely massarge it in it helps alot just try it really :P

  3. nitsajones

    hi,i suffered from this almost 2 years ago,the only thing that helps quickly is the cortisone -steroid injecktions on the scalp- painfull,but the hair regrows already in couple weeks.best wishes

  4. Radhikat07

    Hi , I have been suffering from this condition for the past five years and have often take oral steroids to treat it. Can any of u brief me about alternate treatments which helped you so that i can try finding them in my neighbourhood.

  5. Anonymous

    Hi, I got Alopecia Areata about 4 months ago. I first noticed it after coming back from the barber shop. The next day while scratching my head i noticed some hair was falling off. A couple of days later on the right side of my head, a small patch of about 2cm in diameter was bare. I initially thought it was stress related and didn't give it a second thought, thinking it would grow back when i was more relaxed. the ptach kept getting bigger and bigger until it reached 10cm in diameter. Also i got two small hairless spots on the back of my head. Two months in to this condition, i started worrying. Just for reference, i already have a dandruff contidion which leads to excessive flaking and oily scalp. To cure this, last year i started using a shampoo called Selenol (may be called something else in your country). This wonder shampoo left my head clean and free from dandruff... for the first time in 13 years. I no longer had to scarcth my scalp to the point where i started bleeding. It was truly a wonder shampoo. Back to the Alopecia. I went to a dermatologist and immediately started tratement using x-rays and freeze therapy. The doctor explained that somehow, some antibodies in my head got confused and thought that my hair follicles were alien and trying to attack my scalp. The therapy started working all the while i was still using Selenol shampoo at least twice a week. I have recently tried to get more info on this condition, thinking it couldn't possibly be hereditary since neither my father nor mother ever had it. I absolutely refused to admit it being something passed on to me. I decided to look into the fact that the Selenol shampoo was for some reason taken off the shelves at the pharmacy. I tried contacting their main agent and they had no good info on why they were pulled back. I asked a doctor about the contents of the Shampoo and he said it was Selenium Sulfide. Selenium Sulfide according to the web and medical books has a list of known side effects, among others ALOPECIA ! Selenium Sulfide should not be applied on wounded skin or else the side effects will twofold. I at the time had scratched my scalp so much that i broke the skin and thus the shampoo came into direct contact with my blood. I am absolutely positive that the shampoo is to blame. Why else would they pull it back from off the shelves. FYI, it was the 2.5mg variant. In some countries it is also know as Selsun or Nizoral... I have now stopped using Selenol and hair growth in the affected areas is sprouting normally. I'll have all my hair back in a month or so. Hope this helps. I am positive that Alopecia has something to do with dandruff affected people who use shampoo that includes Selenium Sulfide. regards

  6. Anonymous

    my husband recoverd from alopecia areata by using black seed oil on scalp.