Alopecia Areata: How to Live With This Diagnosis?

Hair loss and baldness is a problem that affects not only adults, but also children. Alopecia is not only a cosmetic defect but also a psychological issue.

Alopecia areata – what is it?

This type of baldness happens when cells responsible for immunity attack the hair follicles. In other words, they see them as enemies of the human body. The result of this attack is hair loss and the development of alopecia.

This type of hair loss can be caused by:

• Stress and nervous breakdowns.
• Complications from flu, cold and other viral infections.
• Autoimmune diseases.
• Immunologic failures, etc.

How to live with this condition

Alopecia areata is a non-infectious pathology and can be reversed with the right approach. Hair restoration is a long process that requires a lot of time, patience, and following the recommendations of specialists.

To cure the disease, you should stop believing in miracles by rubbing your hairless patches with various “magical” remedies which are supposed to cure “baldness” instantly. If these “remedies” were active, the problem of baldness would be solved, and scientists would stop searching for new treatment methods.

In the time of Hippocrates, very extraordinary remedies were used for treating baldness, such as snake saliva, donkey hooves, lily petals, and other components which of course didn’t bring any results – and people were still losing their hair.

To understand the reason you should visit a specialist. The doctor will analyze your medical history, prescribe the necessary lab tests, and choose the best treatment plan.

Usually, therapy includes the following measures:

• Try to be calm and have a positive attitude. Visiting a psychologist and using sedatives will help you avoid stress.
• Sports will help you to regulate biochemical processes, including immunity.
• Proper nutrition will provide the right amount of vitamins, elements, antioxidants, amino acids, and other substances that are necessary for the immune system and nutrition of the hair follicle.
• Prescription of medications based on the patient’s current status and symptoms. Remember, not only will self-treatment not bring any results, but it can also cause aggravation and worsening of the symptoms.
• Phytotherapy can be a component of combined therapy for the treatment of focal alopecia. However, the use of herbs should be recommended by the doctor to avoid side effects.
• Acupuncture is an alternative method that helps to relieve stress, regulate metabolic processes, improve blood supply, etc.
• Physiotherapy is a supportive method that will strengthen the results of the previous treatment, and speed up the remission.
• Low-level therapy achieves positive results in the process of hair growth regeneration. It increases blood flow to the hair follicle, strengthens the structure of the hair, and speeds up the process of remission.

Alopecia areata includes several methods, which allows achieving positive results and stable remission. During the therapy course, you can temporarily use a wig. Remember, during this period, aggressive cosmetic procedures that lead to hair trauma with thermal or chemical substances are strictly prohibited.