What is alopecia areata? An autoimmune condition called alopecia areata can cause patchy hair loss everywhere on the body, although it most frequently affects the hair on the scalp. "Alopecia" Is a medical term for hair loss or baldness, and "Areata" refers to it occurring in small, random regions on your body

ALOPECIA and homeopathy

Having excessive hair loss and feeling embarrassed about those patches. Don’t worry homeopathy will help you.

Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease that attacks your body’s hair follicles, causing patchy hair loss. It is a common skin disorder that affects 1.7% of the population. It is a reversible disorder as the hair follicle are not damaged completely.

What is alopecia areata?

An autoimmune condition called alopecia areata can cause patchy hair loss everywhere on the body, although it most frequently affects the hair on the scalp. "Alopecia" Is a medical term for hair loss or baldness, and "Areata" refers to it occurring in small, random regions.

Symptoms

Loss of hair in round or oval shape, smooth patch either on scalp ,beard or anywhere on body

Other symptoms are:

1. Changes in nails i.e nail pitting.
2. Itching, tingling or burning at the site of hair loss.
3. Irritation in eyes if eyelashes or eyebrows are lost.

Causes

Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disorder. It means your immune system attacks your hair follicles because it thinks they are foreign substances that can cause infection or illness. Fortunately, this attack rarely destroys hair follicles, so it’s possible to regrow hair.

When the disease affects your nails, you may see tiny dents in your nails, thinning, splitting, or white spots. Sometimes, a sandpaper-like texture develops.

Other causes: Suffering from thyroid disorderdisorder, psoriasis or vitiligo, asthma or atopic dermatitis.

Genetic factor also plays a major role.

Triggers

1. Stress
2. Drugs: Epilepsy ,Anti cancer, Ace inhibitor,etc
3. Skin disorder: Tinea, lichen planus
4. Hormonal imbalance
5. Child birth
6. Dietary deficiency
7. Hair styling treatment.

Types

1. Alopecia areata totalis: Total loss of hair on scalp.
2. Alopecia areata universalis: Total loss of hair on scalp and all over body.
3. Diffuse alopecia areata: Thinning of hair rather than falling out in patches.
4. Ophiasis alopecia areata: Lost of band of hair on the bottom back sides of your scalp (occipitotemporal scalp).
5. Androgenic alopecia:This is a genetic hair loss, which is also known as male pattern balding.
6. Traction alopecia:It is caused by damage to the hair follicles and dermal papilla due to the constant stretching of hair over a long period. Therefore, it often occurs in persons who either wear tight braids or have styles like tight ponytails.

Life cycle of hair : Knowledge of life cycle of hair plays a major role in understanding the causation and treating it.to understand it much better read the following article which explain in detail about the life cycle of hair.( https://www.drtejaldaftary.com/blog/hairfall-and-homeopathy)

Can the hair grow back or it will leave permanent patch?

Since the hair follicles are not damage in early stages it can be reversible. Alopecia areata may be curable if treatment is started quickly. Alopecia is also manageable provided the patches are not too numerous and large. If the scalp has scarring that causes alopecia areata, the hair in those regions might not grow back.

General care

Be gentle with your hair and your scalp. Gentle hair and scalp care are essential. We recommend the following for their patients who have alopecia areata:

1. Use a soft-bristled brush and wide-toothed comb to gently style your hair. These styling tools are less likely to pull on your hair.
2. Avoid hair and skin care products with harsh chemicals. On your scalp and any area where you’ve lost hair, harsh chemicals can do more harm than good. Products to avoid include hair dyes and hair care products that contain fragrance or alcohol. Look for fragrance-free products.
3. Let your hair dry naturally instead of using a blow dryer or other dryer that uses heat.
4. Wear loose hairstyles. Tight hairstyles like ponytails and cornrows can pull on your scalp, causing further hair loss.
5. Protect bald or thinning areas from the sun.
6. Learn how to manage stress.

Homeopathy

As hair have a major role in your psychosocial health and good hair plays a major role in boosting confidence. Therefore homoeopathic approach is to cure the root cause of alopecia to decrease hairfall and reduce the reoccurance of it.

1. Reappearance of loss of hair without use of external steroids.
2. Strengthen the root of hair that reduce hair fall.
3. Improves the immunity system that hasten the repair of the damage hair follicle.
4. Healthy growth of new hair.
5. Overall improve your health and boost your confidence.