Alopecia
Areata
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What is
Alopecia Areata?
Alopecia areata is thought to be an auto-immune disease of the hair,
initially appearing as a rounded bare patch about an inch across. Alopecia
areata affects both men and women equally and is often experienced first in
childhood. According to a survey taken in America one person in every
hundred is likely to experience Alopecia areata at sometime in their life.
Many people affected with Alopecia areata will only have one experience of
hair loss with regrowth occurring afterwards, however it is estimated that
in approximately 20 percent of cases in the UK hair loss recurs or becomes
permanent.
There are three types of Alopecia areata which are named according to their
severity.
Alopecia areata is mild patchy hair loss on the scalp
Alopecia totalis is the loss of all scalp hair
Alopecia Universalis is the loss of scalp and all body hair
Researchers believe that Alopecia areata is an auto-immune disease, this
means that the body’s immune system acts as if the hair follicles are
foreign and attacks them. White blood cells called T-lymphocytes attack the
hair follicle which causes the hair to stop growing and enter into the
telogen (resting) phase, then about 3 months later, when the resting phase
is over the hair will then fall out. Only when T-lymphocytes stop attacking
the hair follicle will new hair grow.
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Known
Causes
- We do not know why the immune cells attack the hair-growing tissue.
- Alopecia areata is not contagious, not caused by foods, and is not the
result of nervousness.
- Alopecia areata sometimes runs in families.
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Conventional
treatments
There is no cure for Alopecia
areata, there are only treatments, these treatments must be continued until
the condition stops which in most cases happens within a very short time,
with or without treatments. Treatments for Alopecia areata are roughly
divided into two groups.
1) patients with less than 50% hair loss
2) patents with over 50% hair loss
Source: - INK Electronic Media Limited
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This page was last updated on 04 December 2006 17:26:28
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