Alopecia areata is a not very frequent pathology, but known in the medical field. It is very relevant within the dermatological specialty, since consultations for this reason are not so unusual.
The disease consists of a loss of hair in a specific area of the body. The most affected area is the scalp; However, it can also manifest itself in the beard, for example, or in the hair of the upper and lower limbs. Now, what are its causes and symptoms? Is there treatment?
Alopecia areata in men and women
Both men and women of different ages can suffer from this disorder. However, it is recorded more among adolescent men. Despite this, children are not exempt from symptoms, especially if they have a history of direct relatives who have suffered from it.
For medicine, there is not just one type of alopecia areata, but several. This is the classification of the types of alopecia areata that a review of the Integral Medicine Journal cites:
Single plate: it is the most common form; only one region of the body loses hair.
In multiple plaque: unlike the previous one, the affected areas are more than one.
Total: a large patch of hair loss is formed that affects the entire scalp causing baldness.
Universal: in addition to taking the scalp, it extends over the eyebrows, eyelashes and armpits.
Diffuse: it is a hair loss that is not located in a specific region, but diffusely affects the scalp.
For dark hair: it is the rarest form. Hair loss respects gray hair and affects only pigmented hair, giving the feeling that the person has gone brutally gray from one day to the next.
Causes of alopecia areata
There is no precise information about the origin of alopecia areata. However, medical publications such as the United States National Library of Medicine indicate that the probable cause would be an autoimmune disease; that is, the body would mistakenly attack parts of the body itself.
In this case, the immune system would mistakenly identify the hair follicles as dangerous or strange and attack them. By attacking the follicle, the hair detaches and falls out, since it loses its support and its source of nutrition.
Histopathological studies of affected people revealed a great inflammatory process in the affected areas. White blood cells accumulate around the hair follicles, stopping hair development. The fall is an expected consequence of this inflammation.
A group of people with alopecia areata suffer it associated with other autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis or celiac disease. Sometimes hair loss is the first symptom of other diseases, and later the underlying disease fully manifests itself.
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