Alopecia Areata treatment

Alopecia Areata treatment

Alopecia areata is hair loss of unknown cause, characterized by round patches of complete baldness.

Symptoms

The primary symptom of alopecia areata is roundish patches of hair loss on the head, with smooth, hairless scalp in the affected areas. Alopecia totalis involves the complete loss of all scalp hair, and alopecia universalis is characterized by the complete loss of all scalp and body hair.

Hairs that look like exclamation points are sometime seen at the edges of a bald patch.

Treatment

No fully effective treatments are available. Typical therapy includes:

• Topical corticosteroids (medium to very high potency)
• Subcutaneous (under the skin surface) steroid injection
• Ultraviolet light therapy

Irritating agents may be applied to hairless areas to promote regrowt

Alopecia Areata

Treatment of Alopecia Areata
There are several different treatment options for alopecia areata. The most common is observation. If the patch of hair loss is small, it is reasonable to observe it and allow the hair to regrow on its own. Another option is applying a strong topical steroid such as Diprolene or Temovate to the patch. It may take several months for the hair to grow back using this method. Another common therapeutic option is injection of a steroid, such as Celestone into the involved scalp skin. Initial regrowth of hair can be seen in 4-8 weeks and treatments are repeated every 4-6 weeks. The main side effect from any steroid use is thinning of the skin