What is Alopecia?
-It is an autoimmune condition which develops when your own immune system attacks the healthy hair follicles, resulting in hair loss or hair fall in small patches.
-Depending on which type and severity of the disease you have, you might experience hair loss in different areas.
Types of Alopecia
1. Alopecia areata-The most common form, with one or more coin sized hairless patches on the scalp or other parts of the body.
2.Alopecia totalis-Total loss of the hair on the scalp.
3.Alopecia Universalis-Complete loss of hair on the scalp, face and body.
4.Androgenic alopecia-Thinning of hair because of male hormone androgen. It is a major distressing situation for women. This male-pattern hair loss is often seen in women with PCOS.
-The loss of hair could be sudden or it could develop in over a few days or over a period of a few weeks.
-Risk factors include family history of the condition.
What are the causes?
-as explained, it is an autoimmune disorder in which hair follicles are attacked by the immune system leading to killing of the follicles.
-Genetic association can increase the risk.
-In addition, it also shares genetic risk factors with other autoimmune diseases like Rheumatoid arthritis, Type 1 Diabetes, celiac disease.
What is the sign & symptoms?
-Small bald patches.
-Patches can take any shapes; they are usually round or oval.
-Hair tend to pull out more easily along the edge of the patch where the follicles are already being attacked by the body’s immune system.
What are the treatment options?
Homoeopathic treatment for Alopecia areata has shown miraculous results. See appended pictures of a few patients. Some of these patients have been treated online as it was a period of Covid lockdown. Subsequently, final photos were taken at clinic.
Alopecia totalis & alopecia universalis are challenging conditions to treat and needs a lot of patience on the part of the patient as it needs treatment for a long period to get the result.
Androgenic alopecia which is very common – male pattern baldness in males and in females at menopause (frontal thinning of hair). It needs thorough change in lifestyle and diet. Nutritional supplements and local medicine to strengthen hair root is needed along with deeper homoeopathic remedies. With this approach, it is possible to reverse the disease to a great extent.