Are You Familiar With Circatricial Alopecia?

Hair loss is not an uncommon condition, since it affects 2% of the world population. This condition affects the skin, when immune system attacks hair follicles resulting with small, round patches of hair loss that can grow back or spread on the whole head or sometimes on the entire body, this affects 5% of Alopecia Areata patients. Everyone can be affected, man and women equally. Alopecia mainly causes discomfort, because people affected with this condition usually don't suffer from other diseases. It can have strong psychological impact caused by the new image due to condition, resulting in lower self-esteem.

Generally, alopecia is divided into two main groups: scarring alopecia and non-scarring alopecia. Non-scarring alopecia often involves alopecia variants where the hair falls off without inflammation or scarring. If a dermatologist tugs some hair and it comes out easily, a person mostly likely has non-scarring alopecia. Non-scarring alopecia often heals on its own. Hair reproduction usually continues when a pre-existing condition has already been taken care of.

Circatricial alopecia, which is a type of scarring alopecia, refers to a group of rare hair disorders resulting from a condition that damages the scalp and hair follicle. The disorders destroy the hair follicle and replace the follicles with a scar tissue consequently causing permanent hair loss. Conditions associated with circatricial alopecia include autoimmune diseases such as discoid lupus erythematosus, scalp trauma, infections such as tuberculosis and syphilis, and radiation therapy. It affects both adults and children, and may present as primary or secondary circatricial alopecia. It presupposes constant destruction of hair follicles and their replacement by connecting tissue. Cicatrices usually are not as visible as in case of healing wounds and they result in disappearance of apertures of hair follicles and the scalp becomes smooth and brilliant. The skin can remain soft and elastic though sometimes there may be callosities.

If a patient suffers from alopecia areata, treatment is generally out-patient or it can be carried out in dermatological hospital (when hair loss process is extensive and prolonged). Vitamins A, E, C, H are used, as well as nicotinic, pantothenic and folic acids, preparations of furocoumarin, sedatives means, ACTH (drenocorticotropic hormones) and glucocorticoids in such cases. Rosental paste, alcoholic and etheric solutions with addition of sulfur, salicylic acid, tincture of siliculose pepper are applied. Also irradiation by UV-beams or photochemotherapy is sometimes used in course of therapy. Among physiotherapeutic means used in alopecia treatment are d'arsonvalization, cryotherapy with snow of carbonic acid, cryomassage and massage with electrobrush.

If a person gets affected with hair loss, doctors usually recommend vitamin or iron supplements. Dietary supplements like Vitamin E, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, Gelatin and VitaminB3 are famous for reducing falling of hair, promoting its re-growth, and supporting the immune system in the case of alopecia. The treatment will depend on the person's age and the type of the condition. Hair loss can be difficult, mostly because society perceives hair as a sign of good health and for women as a symbol of femininity and sexuality.

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