The Different Varieties of Alopecia

Many have perhaps heard the term alopecia used in connection with baldness. While the word may sound like some terrible kind of disease, in fact this is just a technical term used to describe hair loss in general.

Alopecia, or hair loss, affects tens of millions of mostly men (but also women) in the United States alone. It is the most common type of health-related condition in the world, and scientists, entrepreneurs, inventors and crackpots of all varieties have been searching for a cure since the beginning of human history.

As researchers have deepened their understanding of alopecia over the years, they have been able to disce
distinctions between different types of hair loss. Discussed below are some of the most common kinds of alopecia, each of which has affected the lives of a significant number of people.

Androgenic (or Androgenetic) Alopecia

This is by far the most common type of alopecia. Androgenic alopecia is an inherited condition that can develop in either men or women, and is referred to in the vernacular as male or female pattern baldness.

Over 40% of men under the age of 35 show symptoms consistent with androgenic alopecia, and this percentage continues to rise with age. Hair loss in men with this condition occurs on the crown of the scalp and in the frontal area above the temples, and its various stages of development follow a progressive and distinctive pattern that can be charted on what is known as the Hamilton-Norwood scale.

The most well-known treatments for hair loss – minoxidil, finasteride and hair loss supplements – are designed to help those suffering from this type of alopecia. A chemical produced naturally in the body called DHT can become overly concentrated in the hair follicles, choking off and eventually halting the process of healthy hair growth. Hair loss treatments all attempt in one way or another to ameliorate the destructive effects of DHT and DHT production, and the three types of treatments just mentioned all have proven their ability to do so when used consistently over a long period of time.

Alopecia Areata

This kind of alopecia is an autoimmune disorder that causes patches of hair to fall out at different spots on the scalp. The immune system actually attacks hair follicles as if they were foreign invaders, and the result is a type of hair loss that is not permanent, but can be recurring in some cases. About 2% of the population will suffer from alopecia areata at some time in their lives.

Telogen Effluvium

This type of hair loss is related to stress, trauma or serious injury. When the body has been subjected to a strong physical or emotional shock, it can cause hair growth to temporarily stop, which means that as hair dies and falls out it is not replaced by new growth. Hair that has stopped growing is said to have entered a resting, or telogen phase, and when this happens at a greater frequency than normal following a trauma, the result is telogen effluvium, a condition that can last for up to three or four months before abating. Telogen effluvium is the second most common form of alopecia.

Anagen Effluvium

A common side effect of cancer medications and other powerful drugs, this type of alopecia causes hair to become so brittle that it literally breaks and falls out en masse. The anagen phase in the hair cycle is a stage of active growth, which is not actually interrupted in those who suffer from this temporary type of alopecia. Generally, this condition goes into remission once medication use has ceased.

Tractional Alopecia

Extreme hair styles that pull tightly on hair roots can cause hair to start falling out quite suddenly. The source of the pressure on the roots of the hair needs to be removed when tractional alopecia first appears, because if this is not done scarring and permanent damage to the scalp can occur.

Involutional Alopecia

Hair thins out naturally as people age because the hair follicles are no longer resilient enough to replace what is lost through attrition. This kind of alopecia is usually considered irreversible, but some who have taken human growth hormone injections or supplements have discovered that these treatments can help reverse involutional alopecia.

Paying Attention to the Signals

Those experiencing the symptoms of male pattern baldness may want to investigate the treatments for hair loss that are now available. But when hair loss does not fit the pattern associated with androgenic alopecia, and especially when that hair loss is sudden, it is probably a good idea to make an appointment to see a doctor so an accurate diagnosis can be made. While such hair loss could be a symptom of another type of alopecia, unexplained hair loss can also sometimes indicate the presence of a more serious medical condition.