Alopecia & hair loss treatment

The average person has 100,000 to 150,000 scalp hairs at any given time and typically loses up to 100 strands per day. Alopecia, or hair loss, happens when a condition disrupts your normal hair growth cycle.

Losing more than the average number of hairs can lead to thinner hair, a receding hairline, partial baldness, or even total baldness. That’s because you’re losing hair strands faster than your body can replace them.

While most types of alopecia are genetic and can’t be cured, there are several treatments that can help you regrow your hair.

Your hair growth cycle

Your hair is made up of two structures: what’s visible above the scalp (the shaft) and what’s not visible beneath it (the follicle). The hair growth cycle consists of three distinct stages – active growth, transitional and resting. At any given time, each individual hair strand may be in a different hair growth stage.

Hair loss often occurs when one or more of these phases is disrupted by another condition that tells your immune system to attack your hair follicles. When this happens, your hair – no matter what stage – will fall out. It also prevents your hair follicle from producing new hair.

Types of alopecia

There are several different types of alopecia. The most common type is androgenic alopecia, also referred to as male or female pattern baldness.

• Alopecia areata: This type may result in patchy hair loss, complete baldness (alopecia totalis), or total body hair loss, including eyebrows and eyelashes (alopecia universalis). Usually, people with alopecia areata regrow their hair within a few years. It’s the most common type of sudden hair loss in children and adolescents.
• Alopecia totalis: The complete loss of hair on your scalp, usually related to an autoimmune condition or genetics. Hair typically falls out in round patches.
• Alopecia universalis: Along with the complete loss of hair on your scalp, you also lose all the hair on your body. It's also usually related to an autoimmune condition or genetics and is considered an advanced form of alopecia areata.
• Androgenic alopecia: Male pattern baldness may begin in the teens or 20s, causing a receding hairline and gradual thinning of hair around the crown and front of the scalp. Female pattern baldness typically shows no noticeable thinning until at least age 40. Hair loss occurs across the entire scalp, most extensively at the crown.
• Involutional alopecia: A natural condition that causes your hair to thin gradually as you age.
• Scarring alopecia: A type of alopecia that results in permanent hair loss. Inflammatory skin conditions – such as folliculitis, acne, and other various skin disorders – often result in scar tissue that destroys the hair follicles and, thus, the ability of the hair to regrow.

Although most types of alopecia are chronic, some types of hair loss can be temporary:

• Anagen effluvium: Rapid hair loss resulting from chemotherapy or radiation therapy, often reversible after treatment ends.
• Telogen effluvium: Occurs when stress, shock or an illness causes your hair to temporarily thin.
• Traction alopecia: A type of gradual hair loss caused by constant pulling or tension of the hair, often due to hairstyles. It can be reversed once the tension is removed.
• Trichotillomania: A psychological, self-inflicted condition in which you repetitively pull out your own hair. This condition is commonly diagnosed in children.

Alopecia symptoms

The symptoms of alopecia may include:

• Gradual thinning of hair
• Receding hairline
• Patchy bald spots
• Hair loss on your entire body
• Scalp scaling or redness

What causes alopecia to start?

Shedding about 100 scalp hairs each day is completely normal. When you experience hair loss, you’re simply losing hair faster than normal – faster than your body can produce new hair. There are many possible causes of hair loss, including:

• Aging
• Illness
• Hormonal changes
• Heredity
• Thyroid disease
• Medical treatments, such as chemotherapy
• Getting too much or not enough of certain vitamins or minerals
• Pregnancy
• Perimenopause & menopause
• Stress

Can alopecia go away?

Alopecia can go away, especially if your hair loss is caused by a temporary condition or treatment. Chronic types of alopecia usually require ongoing treatment and management. With milder cases, your hair loss may start out slowly, or it may improve for some time.

Diagnosing alopecia

A dermatologist can diagnose alopecia based on your symptoms and visible hair loss. They'll discuss your health history and perform a physical examination of your skin and scalp.

Sometimes further testing to discover any underlying conditions is needed. This may include blood tests to check for thyroid function, hormonal imbalances, or autoimmune disorders, as well as a skin or scalp biopsy to examine your tissue and hair follicles more closely under a microscope.

Alopecia & hair loss treatment options

If you’re experiencing hair loss, your dermatologist will discuss treatment options that work best for you. Multiple treatment methods are often used together to most effectively treat your specific case of alopecia. Some are aimed at treating any underlying conditions.

If you’ve become bald due to aging or heredity, we'll discuss ways to help prevent hair loss from getting worse, as well as various surgeries or medication that can help regrow hair.

Surgical hair loss treatments

• Hair transplant: A hair loss treatment procedure in which hair is taken off the back of your own scalp and transplanted to any balding areas.
• Scalp reduction: A surgical hair loss treatment in which parts of the scalp affected by alopecia are removed and the healthier areas are stretched to increase the appearance of a fuller head of hair.
• Tissue expansion: This procedure stretches your scalp over time, allowing stretched areas to cover more of the scalp, resulting in a fuller look.

Nonsurgical hair loss treatments

• Finasteride (Propecia): A prescription drug to treat male pattern baldness.
• Minoxidil (Rogaine): An over-the-counter hair regrowth product applied to bald areas of the scalp. Both men and women can use minoxidil, although women should use a lower-strength version. Although minoxidil is available at drugstores, talk to a dermatologist first to make sure you’re a good candidate for this hair loss treatment.

Find a dermatologist

Find a dermatology specialist near you.