Learn About Alopecia And How It Affects You

You may have heard the term alopecia and the term hair loss to used interchangeably. If you are new to hair loss, you may not be sure what that term alopecia meant. Well it's actually rather simple.

Hairloss is the term that the common man or woman on the street will use to refer to any form of alopecia. Hairloss is the generic phrase used by people to refer to all types of hairloss - no matter what the cause might be. Alopecia is a specific medical term with far more varieties than you could ever imagine.

Let's take a look at some of the challenges that face people with hair loss or alopecia. The most common type of hairloss is male pattern baldness. This condition affects 85%+ of all males. The medical term for this is alopecia androgenetica or androgentic alopcia. These both mean the exact same thing. Androgen refers to the hormone "allergy" that causes male pattern baldness. Genetica refers to the fact that this type of hairloss is a genetically inherited condition. Again, male pattern baldness is a genetic condition.

There are other types of alopecia as well. The next most common type of alopecia is alopecia areata which is the loss of patches of hair on the scalp or on other parts of the body. This type of alopecia affects men, women and children of any age or background. The most difficult aspect of this hairloss is that it can appear without warning - even when you're in perfect health.

There are several causes but the most common are stress, prolonged illness, viral infection and sometimes even extreme allergic reactions to some medications. The good news is that hairloss from alopecia areata is rarely permanent and regrowth of lost hair is possible in many patients. Two of the most popular treatments for alopecia areata are cortisone injections to the affected area or the use of a 5% minoxidil solution. Many people with this condition claim very positive results from the use of essential oil therapies.

In some cases, a very stressful event causes this type of alopecia. Once you get past that stress related event, your hair will gradually start to return.

Next is alopecia totalis. This is the complete loss of all body hair - including scalp, face and body hair. In some cases your nail growth can also be effected. Again this type of alopecia can appear in healthy adults with little or no warning. It shares many of the same causes with alopecia areata but stress seems to be very common as a cause for alopecia totalis.

A popular form of treatment for this alopecia is something called topical immunotherapy. This is where a chemical irritant is applied to the hairless area. The idea is that by irritating the area with specific chemicals that your immune system is forced to fight back and this can trigger hair growth. The use of essential oils is also quite popular in treating alopecia totalis.

If you are experiencing some of the conditions that we have discussed here, the best thing to do is make an appointment and consultation with your doctor. Getting a professional medical opinion is one of the best things you can do. Your doctor can work it used to prescribe a regimen to help put your condition.

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