Alopecia areata in women

When the first symptoms of the disease need to see a trichologist who will conduct a comprehensive examination and prescribe treatment.

The main causes of disease

Normally, each person has been a slight hair loss, however, when it becomes pathological, it should be suspected development of alopecia. The main pathogenetic mechanism of intensive hair loss in focal (alopecia) alopecia in women is an autoimmune aggression to the hair follicles. Immune complexes and immunoglobulins, which in a healthy person provide protection from adverse external agents, perceive the hair follicle, as foreign structure and impair his functioning.
Alopecia areata on the head of a woman may appear as a result of such precipitating factors:

• Acute or chronic viral and bacterial infections. Alopecia areata often occurs in women, the body which has a center of chronic infection (dental caries, chronic tonsillitis, sinusitis).
  
• Prolonged nervous and mental strain or acute stress. Catecholamines, which is secreted in large amounts during periods of stress, impair the trophism of the scalp and hair follicles.
  
• Diseases of the endocrine system. When violations of the thyroid gland or ovaries in women substantially deteriorating condition of the hair until the appearance of alopecia. Alopecia also occurs in pathologies of the adrenal cortex and pituitary.
  
• Medication, medical interventions. Alopecia can provoke long-term antibiotic therapy, anesthesia during surgery, vaccination.
  
• Fungal scalp lesion. Ringworm characterized by the emergence of foci of hair loss and cause a number of other unpleasant symptoms.

The appearance of alopecia areata in women is also closely linked with the genetic factor, since a large role in causing the disease plays a hereditary predisposition.

Classification and staging

Depending on the extent of the pathological process and the degree of involvement of the skin of the head, distinguish Such forms of alopecia areata in women as focal, multifocal, subtotal, total and universal. Each of these forms has its own clinical features of the course and the characteristic symptom. Also, the disease passes through the following stages:

• active stage. Inflammatory symptoms pronounced, the skin on the affected areas flushed and swollen. A woman may complain of itching, burning and tingling of the skin on the head. Hair can break off and fall even when slightly pulling.
  
• stationary phase. Symptoms of inflammation gradually subsides, the skin in the affected area becomes a pale shade.
  
• regressive stage. Gradually renewed hair growth, first grow vellus and pigmented terminal hairs. Later, they thicken and take on the same form as in other parts of the head.
  Determining the form and stage of the disease is necessary for the treatment of alopecia areata among women and prognosis for recovery.

clinical picture

Alopecia is characterized by phasic flow, so a woman can observe the gradual progression of the main symptoms. Usually the disease begins with the appearance of one or two small, round foci of hair loss. When the local lesions form clearly delimited, occupy a small area on the scalp. Subtotal form is characterized by the merger of smaller areas of hair loss, and total - in the complete absence of hair on the head and face.

Particular clinical course of alopecia observed at a universal form, which is considered the most severe.

Hair falls not only on the head and face, but also throughout the body. Often, the universal alopecia areata in the pathological process involved nail plates. The nails become thin, brittle, dull, they appear longitudinal striations, dot plots dystrophy.
Women with alopecia areata also present emotional lability, depressed mood, because hair loss is a strong stress for the woman. In turn, a nerve disorder further worsens for alopecia and promote intensive hair loss. May join and other symptoms, depending on the presence of concomitant diseases in the body.
If alopecia is triggered by a fungal infection, apart from the problems with the hair on a woman will disturb the intense itching, peeling of the skin, the appearance of round red rash.

Diagnostics

The diagnosis does not cause any difficulties for an experienced professional. The typical form of the lesions on the skin of a woman's head clearly indicates the presence of alopecia areata. However, in order to learn how to treat the disease, it is necessary to identify the cause of its occurrence. This will require a comprehensive examination of the whole body, which will include different laboratory and instrumental methods of research.
Be sure to designate a clinical blood test and study the level of sex, thyroid hormone, catecholamines. As the basis for the development of autoimmune alopecia is the mechanism that determines the presence of antibodies, immune complexes and immunoglobulins.
By instrumental methods include hardware research the hair shaft under the microscope, a scraping of affected areas of suspected ringworm, ultrasound of the thyroid gland, ovaries and other internal organs. A woman diagnosed with alopecia areata with external symptoms of scalp lesions and in-depth search for the causes of this disease allows more efficient to choose a course of treatment.

Approaches to the treatment of disease

Cure alopecia areata in women is possible only through an integrated approach, since the mechanism of the disease is still not fully understood. It is crucial to seek help from a qualified professional, which individually select women treated. Effective treatment of alopecia areata is composed of two major parts - the psychological support and the use of medicines.
A woman needs to provide maximum assistance in dealing with stress, which only worsens the alopecia. Half of women with complete recovery or significant improvement is noted after a year of treatment, others need a little more time to recover hair. Treatment of alopecia areata is not possible without the use of drugs.
Widely used corticosteroids topical administration in the form of ointments, gels. To improve the tissue trophism, a woman needs to take vasodilators and nootropics and special vitamin complexes. To stabilize the psycho-emotional state prescribed sedatives, at least - tranquilizers.

In case of fungal infections of the skin using antimycotic drugs for topical or systemic use.

Also in the treatment of alopecia areata in women resort to physiotherapy. Improves the condition of Cryomassage, darsonvalization, phonophoresis and other procedures. It is also desirable to use a special skin care products for daily hair care. Radical treatment is transplantation of skin from other parts of the head or body.
To avoid a recurrence of the disease, it is important to maintain a healthy lifestyle and take care of the hair properly. Women with a family history of alopecia, it is advisable to visit the doctor in the preventive purposes even before the appearance of symptoms of anxiety.

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