Autoimmune disorders cause the immune system to mistakenly target healthy tissues throughout the body. With alopecia areata, the immune system attacks hair follicles, which leads to patchy hair loss.
While alopecia areata does not cause severe health effects, hair loss can be very upsetting from a cosmetic perspective. However, the following treatments can help stop hair loss and even regrow hair in some cases.
Immune conditions like alopecia areata cause inflammation in the affected areas, in this case the scalp. To reduce inflammation and foster the growth of hair, doctors can prescribe medications called corticosteroids. Corticosteroids can be injected into the scalp, taken orally, or applied as a topical ointment. There is also a topical medication called minoxidil that can regrow hair in some people.
As for immunotherapy, these treatments work by introducing an allergen to the skin on the scalp, which causes an allergic reaction to facilitate the growth of new hair. In effect, immunotherapy trains the immune system to have a less volatile response to hair follicles.
If you do not respond to the above treatments, doctors may recommend one of the following:
Hairless patches are exposed to an ultraviolet beam of light, which increases blood flow to the scalp. Boosting circulation can also help regrow hair.
This treatment involves withdrawing blood and placing it into a device called a centrifuge. The processed blood, which contains a greater concentration of platelets, is injected into the scalp to boost hair growth.
Hairpieces can fill in bald spots and areas of thinning hair. You can also experiment with hairstyling techniques to mask bald patches. A hair stylist that specializes in alopecia areata can show you the basic steps to take at home.