What is alopecia?
Do you have alopecia? It’s natural to shed about 100 hairs daily. But areas of alopecia – the medical term for baldness or thinning – on your head or other parts of the body, may not be normal. If you are experiencing unusual hair loss, you are not alone – it affects millions of men and women. Fortunately, better treatment options are available today than ever before.
What causes alopecia?
- Genetics: Most hair loss (often referred to as male pattern baldness, female pattern baldness, or androgenic alopecia) is hereditary. This type of hair loss is extremely common and affects millions men and women every year.
- Hormonal changes: Many women experience hair loss after a pregnancy or at menopause.
- Stress: A big contributor to alopecia may be major stressors or an increase in our day-to-day levels of stress. Some psychological conditions can even cause sufferers to pull their hair out.
- Diet: Nutritional deficiencies or excesses, or eating disorders.
- Disease and medications: Such as alopecia areata (an autoimmune disease), thyroid disorders, anemia, cancer, radiation, chemotherapy, and anabolic steroids.
- Fashion: Traction alopecia is caused by how you style and care for your hair; pulling it up tightly at the hairline, harsh treatments and products, rubber bands and clips.
How is alopecia treated?
Hair may grow back naturally after periods of stress or illness, but professional treatment is available for other situations. Your dermatologist will examine your skin and scalp and ask questions about your family medical history, diet, and lifestyle. The doctor may also order lab tests or take a painless scalp biopsy for more information.
A customized restoration plan will be created for your unique needs. This might include:
- Advice on how to manage stress
- Instructions on how to best care for your hair and scalp
- Prescription treatments, like minoxidil
- Safe surgical procedures such as hair transplants or scalp surgery for more severe cases
Get help from a board-certified dermatologist today. Schedule a consultation today at one of our convenient locations. We have offices across Texas, including Houston, Pflugerville, Austin, Bee Cave, and Dripping Springs, and Louisiana, with offices in Metairie, Old Metairie, Uptown New Orleans and Baton Rouge.
THE TREATMENTS BELOW CAN HELP WITH ALOPECIA (HAIR LOSS):
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