Hair fall, defined as the loss of more than one hundred hairs per day, is one of the most troubling problems for young people in recent years, and it is not limited to gender or age. Hair loss affects people's appearance and undermines their confidence. There is a growing concern about the problem and it is being studied deeply. One of the types of hair loss, alopecia areata, has also received a lot of attention.

Symptoms

Alopecia areata, as the name implies, refers to hair loss in a circular pattern. This means that the symptoms of hair loss appear in one specific area, and the condition has the highest probability of occurring among all types of hair loss. It starts out as a small circle, after which the second and third circles join together to a degree that the pattern is not visible. Inflammation and other symptoms are not visible in the area of hair loss, and the hair roots become extremely thin and darkly pigmented. Because it appears in one place at the beginning, it appears in another place two to six weeks later.

Causes

• Genetic factors

The causes are currently unknown, although numerous studies have shown that genetic factors may play a major role in the development of alopecia areata. By investigating information on the incidence of baldness in 348 first-degree relatives of patients with baldness, one researcher found that at least one of their parents was more likely to have the disease than normal, and 3% of their siblings had alopecia areata. The frequency and inheritance pattern of baldness were associated with a polygenic model of inheritance.

• Mental Condition

Research findings have shown that mental factors may affect the appearance of alopecia areata. Psychiatric shock and acute anxiety are the most common causes of alopecia areata. Meanwhile 30% of patients with the disease experience emotional stress, such as anxiety, depression, phobias and paranoid disorders. What’s more, the results of a study of 31 patients with pemphigus showed that 39% of patients with pemphigus had generalized anxiety and 39% also suffered from depression. All the evidence promote mental condition to be a focus of pathogenesis of baldness.

• Immunity

According to current Chinese and Western medical opinions, most believe that baldness is caused by a disruption of the patient's body immune system. To put it simply, the immune system perceives the local skin as a foreign invasion, resulting in a strong rejection reaction that causes extensive skin damage and leads to hair loss.

In addition, it has been found that there may be an association between allergic diseases and the development of alopecia areata. That is to say, patients with allergic diseases are more likely to get into the trouble than normal individuals. In one study, patients with symptoms are divided into a severe early-onset group and a mild late-onset group, and elevated levels of tIgE and sIgE are found in the severe early-onset group. These elevated tIgE and sIgE may influence the intensity and duration of the immune response in patients with alopecia areata.

Is it passed on to the next generation?

Research has not yet identified a definitive cause for baldness, but the prevailing view remains that genetics, stress and immune deficiency are the three main factors.

Scientists believe that various factors are needed in order to trigger the disease, including genetic and environmental factors, not just simply family heredity. The truth is there is a little possibility that parents will pass alopecia areata along to their children. So don’t be too much anxious.

Unfortunately, for those who suffer from alopecia areata, it is a condition that is impossible to treat without recurrence. The most effective way is to try to control the condition with medication and then allow the hair to grow back, such as anti-inflammatory drugs used to treat autoimmune diseases, medications for psoriasis and topical sensitizers.