Types of alopecia and how they are treated

Hair loss is a matter that is of great concern to the people who are affected by it. Beyond its effects on aesthetical appearance, it often matches with a health problem. That is why it is so important to consult  a specialist that helps us first to diagnose it and secondly to try to  stop  what is causing that hair loss.

In addition to the search for that necessary diagnosis, we can ask ourselves different questions related to the lifestyle we lead, with what we eat, with how we treat our hair when washing or combing it or if we expose our scalp to an overexposure that  can affect our health.

If our hair loss does not respond to a justified fall, due to a change of season, to be living a period of great stress or to a bad care of our hair follicles, then it is very possible that we are affected by  some type of alopecia.

Types of alopecia

Although there are many  types of alopecia that we can suffer from,  we can divide them into two main groups: those that leave a scar and those that do not. In the former case, they are not only the most common, but also the ones that have the easiest solution.

As for those that do not leave a scar, in most cases they are a consequence of the two most frequent alopecia, the androgenetic and the areata, or otherwise,  it could be  a consequence of suffering from the telogen effluvium.

In the case of androgenetic alopecia, it should be noted  that it appears after a hormonal imbalance that will force us to be subjected to a hormone treatment to stop it. It is also common to resort to the use of substances such as minoxidil, which helps to stimulate  the growth of new hair follicles and strengthen those we already have. Once diagnosed  this type of alopecia, our treating physician usually will ask  us for an analysis to rule out that there is a health problem that is causing it.

In relation to alopecia areata, we need to highlight  that it appears when our own defenses attack the hair follicles. Hence it has consequences in all those areas where you have hair. This type of alopecia is reversible through different treatments. It is common for doctors to test us to see if we have an autoimmune disease that is causing it.

Regarding the telogenic effluvium, we have to  indicate that it appears because of several factors such as anemia, the absence of certain vitamins, sun overexposure, the appearance of fever or in response to a surgical intervention. Hair loss usually occurs three months after the problem onset. Once this is resolved, the hair will grow back easily.

Finally, it is important to note that scarring alopecia requires a study and some tests to determine which treatment is the most appropriate for each case. When these are diagnosed in time and  you start  teatment  quickly, hair loss can be stopped  in a very short time.