Depending on the severity of the alopecia, treatments may vary. Alopecia occurs when the hair follicles become inflamed, this causes the hair to fall out. If the individual decides against an alopecia treatment, the hair will still grow back after 6 – 12 months.
My son of 8 has alopecia, he had 4 patches of smooth bald skin, they were large in size. When the hair first started to fall out you could see tiny black dots, these were the actual follicles, they did not come out attached to the hair. These follicles came out after about 4 weeks, after 6 months the hair started to grow back. The new hair was a lighter shade than it previously was. As of yet this has not occurred again, but I am worried about when it does.
Many people would think that alopecia treatments are medications and lotions but from dealing with my sons alopecia I strongly recommend counseling. My son started to become withdrawn and he would have periods of crying and being naughty especially at school. We were advised to try counseling and after the first 2 sessions we noticed a good change.
It is unknown why this condition can just happen after long periods of no hair loss, so if you have never experienced it before you will worry about it. If you have had bouts of hair loss before then you can cope with it a bit better.
This autoimmune disease is thought to run in the family, so it is extremely likely that a relative has this condition.
Before a conclusive diagnosis has been reached, your doctor will ask you about any past medical problems you may have had. Because you suffer from this condition you are likely to develop other autoimmune diseases, if your doctor feels that this could be an issue he or she will refer your for tests.
Alopecia treatments will vary on the severity of the hair loss. For relatively mild hair loss you may not wish to have treatment.
Alopecia treatments include;
Wigs, unlike the past this product is less noticeable and can be made from real hair.
Finasteride, this medication is only for men. This treatment has side effects.
Saw palmetto, this encourages hair growth it is a herbal supplement available at any health food store.
Minoxidil, no prescription is necessary for this treatment.
Steroid injections, in cases where the hair does not grow back, injections will be given, these are injected in to the bald patches, hair growth takes between 4 – 6 weeks.
Alopecia treatments can be effective for some people, finding a suitable treatment will take time and to begin with you may not find any that seem to work. Persist with looking and you will find a treatment that suits you. If you are worried or if you feel down, know that you are not alone, many people suffer with this problem and the feelings you have regarding your hair loss are normal. If you are getting a bit down consider a support group or counselor. It is only your hair that has changed not you as a person.