Alopecia areata and its causes

 What is alopecia areata?

It can come as a surprise, but alopecia areata is in fact more common than you may think. Various hair loss problems can be linked to alopecia. But the question is, what is it? and what are the direct and indirect causes of alopecia? To begin with, Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease which causes substantial hair loss. In other words, when you suffer from alopecia your own immune systems attacks your hair follicles, mistakenly thinking that they should be eliminated. As a result, this causes major hair loss. Your hair follicles are important, in the end they begin the hair growth cycle and if they are attacked and the cells are destroyed, your hair will not only stop growing, but it will also begin to fall out. It’s important to note that damage to hair follicles isn’t always permanent, and there’s almost always a possibility that your hair will begin to grow again, and the excessive hair loss will halt. In many cases people have recovered from alopecia on their own, by finding their own remedies and treatments. But bear in mind that no matter what your illness stage is, and what type of alopecia you’re suffering from, it’s important to get familiar with its causes. This might help us understand the disease more, and will inform you whether you suffer from a major/minor stage of the illness. The sooner and faster you treat the disease, the more likely you will only notice its limited effects.

What are alopecia causes?

Alopecia areata results in visible hair loss and prominent bald patches. The entire process usually begins with small clumps of your hair falling out. This forms bald patches on your scalp that are smooth and clearly hairless. In very rare cases it’s possible that you lose all your hair as a whole. But it’s a good thing that this type of alopecia isn’t very common. All in all, you should definitely start worrying when you notice to lose a significant amount of hair at once i.e. more than you would usually lose (100-150 strands per day). Sometimes even thinning hair should be an alarming symptom, as over time this might develop into a real alopecia. Luckily, a lot people can recover from alopecia when the disease is treated with care, rapidity and precision. If this is done correctly then your hair can go back to it’s normal state of growth/loss within a matter of few months. Furthermore, with proper daily treatment and hair care you can be certain that your hair will regain its original shine, texture and thickness. But bear in mind that sometimes the damage caused by the illness can be permanent, this all depends on when you begin your treatment, what treatment you apply and most of all how your body responds to the disease and treatment.

There are a number of known Alopecia causes, but some are certainly more serious than others. You should certainly begin to seek early medical attention when: you have a family history with alopecia, you suffer/ed from alopecia at a very young age, you have another autoimmune condition or you are prone to various allergies. All these potential major causes shouldn’t be dismissed, as they are one of the main factors which may trigger a significant case of alopecia within you. It’s always best to contact a doctor or hair-specialists (dermatologist) for consultation. Do it before it’s too late!