Have You Been Diagnosed With Alopecia? Tips to help get your hair back on track
The reality of having alopecia can cause anxiety. When you witness your hair thinning, falling out in patches, or completely losing your hair on your scalp, how can you not worry? Successfully treating this condition requires a highly skilled hair doctor. Let’s talk about alopecia, what causes it, and how to get your hair back to looking like it used to.
What Is Alopecia?
Alopecia areata is an autoimmune condition that causes hair loss. With the condition, hair often falls out in small patches the size of a quarter. In some cases, alopecia can cause hair loss all over the body. Being an autoimmune condition, it means that your body is attacking your healthy hair follicles, mistaking them for foreign invaders. As a result, the hairs fall out.
Alopecia can also lead to scarring (cicatricial alopecia), which causes hair loss and scarring on the scalp. Cicatricial alopecia is usually caused by infections, chemical burns, and inflammatory conditions. Androgenetic alopecia is commonly known as female pattern baldness or male pattern baldness. It is hair loss due to aging, hormone problems, or genetics. In males, it presents as a receding hairline, while in females, it presents as thinning that starts in the part of the hair.
How To Get Your Hair Back
Getting your hair back to what it once was requires a highly skilled hair restoration expert. First, the doctor will perform a clinical hair loss evaluation to determine the right treatment. A combination of medication, regenerative medicine, and surgery can be very effective in reversing hair loss.
Alopecia areata may be treated with anti-inflammatories to stop the body from attacking the hair follicles. Medication to promote hair growth like Minoxidil (Rogaine) can follow. If hair doesn’t grow on its own, the doctor may use platelet-rich plasma (PRP) to stimulate the hair follicles to grow. Scarring alopecia may also be treated using anti-inflammatories, antimicrobials, and more. Once the inflammation is under control, the doctor may recommend a hair transplant. Androgenetic alopecia may be treated using a combination of medication to reduce levels of dihydrotestosterone in the body, Minoxidil (Rogaine), low-level laser therapy, and hair transplant surgery. Low-level laser therapy uses laser light to stimulate cell growth and blood flow to stop hair loss from worsening.
Hair loss is best treated while there are still some hairs left on the scalp. There are more options for treatment for patients with existing hair than those completely bald. To find out your options for getting your hair back, get in touch with a reputable hair doctor.
Hair Transplant Doctor in Kansas City, Des Moines & Liberty, MO
Dr. Scott L. Darling of Darling Hair Restoration is a leader in surgical and non-surgical hair treatments, and performs the latest procedures for hair restoration. Dr. Darling can help you regain your confidence in your appearance, beginning with an accurate diagnosis of your type of hair loss and presenting you with effective treatment options. To get your hair back on track, put your trust in the hands of Dr. Darling.
To make an appointment with Dr. Darling, call our clinic at (816) 792-3400 or use our online form. We look forward to restoring your hair and scalp to a healthy state.
