Alopecia: It Means Hair Loss
We obviously see a lot of people who are dealing with hair loss. Hair loss can come in many different forms. But the one thing that all of our patients have in common is that they have some form of alopecia, or in laymen’s terms, hair loss. It’s that simple.
Androgenic alopecia
This is the most common form of alopecia and is best known as male or female pattern baldness. Almost 80% of the world’s population will be affected by this type of hair loss in some degree throughout their life. This type of alopecia is passed on through hereditary traits and is caused by testosterone being converted into DHT (dihydrotestosterone). DHT is responsible for hair loss on the top of the scalp. It does not affect the hair around the sides or back of the head.
This is a fairly simple form of hair loss to assess and diagnose. If a patient is losing hair in the standard “pattern” and also has a family history of hair loss, that is a good indicator that they have a case of androgenic alopecia.
Treatments such as hair transplants (FUE or FUT), PRP (platelet-rich plasma) therapy, finasteride (Propecia), and minoxidil (Rogaine) are the most effective for treating this type of hair loss.
Alopecia areata
The exact cause of this hair loss is still unknown. Stress and traumatic events have been shown to be triggers.
This type of hair loss can be reversed. New hair will grow back after the cause has been located and removed.
Traction alopecia
This type of hair loss is different from the others because it is directly caused by people’s actions. Tight braids, ponytails, weaves, and poorly done extensions can all cause this type of hair loss. Excessive tension on the hair leads to breakage and permanent hair loss.
It is fairly easy to assess and diagnose this type of alopecia. It is recognizable by the area of the hair loss where you can see the results of the tension.
The only treatment for this type of hair loss is to stop wearing your hair in the style that caused it and to replace the lost hair through a hair transplant.
Alopecia totalis/universalis
