Steroids As a Treatment for Alopecia

Alopecia Areata patients may experience hair loss during a short period of time on one side of the head, from the entire head, hair loss that leaves small, round, smooth patches in one or more areas of the scalp, beard hear loss and hair loss over the entire body. It is thought that alopecia areata is caused by the attack of immune cells on hair follicles causing hair loss. This means that the hair loss is consequence and the cause is malfunction of the immune system. There are many treatments for Alopecia and choosing one for you will depend on many factors, like the type of the condition and the severity. All the treatments provoke the body to respond with a hair regrowth. The results can’t be seen immediately, but the patient should be persistent. The treatments are: Anthralin, Diphencyprone, PUVA, Retin A, Corticosteroids and Minoxidil.

In order to understand our bodies it is always good to think about our past and evolution, since our bodies evolved in an environment of dealing with basic predatory threats in the animal kingdom, the stress response is often referred to as the fight or flight mechanism, because we produce a cocktail of hormones that make us stronger to fight a predator or flee the scene. As we use more air during combat, we would cause an allergic reaction if our stress hormones did not suppress the normal inflammatory response. The body makes a short term survival decision that overrides longer term health consideration, when the blood is diverted away from digestion and directed to muscles.

Steroids can be applied directly to the affected areas to cause a local immune suppression. The smaller the areas being treated topically and the shorter the period of treatment, the less likely one is to develop side effects. Even though it can reverse the condition, there are some side-effects you should be aware of: temporary loss of skin pigment, thinning of the skin, which may result in permanent stretch marks, redness of the skin caused by alterations in the capillaries, allergic reactions, and skin may bruise easily and as the immune system has been depressed, infections can take hold.

In the case that the treatment lasts for a long period of time, there is a bigger chance that the steroids enter the bloodstream and travel away from the point of application, which can cause serious problems like suppressed adrenal function and growth problems in children, so the doctor will look to administer the lightest strength steroid possible for a short period of time to avoid such side effects. Parents in particular worry when they see the list of potential side effects when using steroids to treat alopecia areata.

You can also try natural hair care shampoos that are safe from side-effects. However, you should be aware that there are many producers on the market, but you should choose the one that is trusted and you have heard lots of positive feedback.

For more relevant facts on natural hair loss remedies visit Marbo Hair Page .