Hair Loss Medicine

Alopecia areata is an unpredictable hair loss disease affecting about 2% of the world’s population and is the second most common type of hair loss after male and female pattern baldness. It is often called spot baldness or patch baldness due to its patchy balding pattern. In severe cases, it can affect the whole scalp (alopecia totalis) or the entire body (alopecia universalis). It is not yet known what causes this condition. It is thought to be an autoimmune disease triggered by a person’s autoimmune system, which suddenly decides to attack its own hair follicles. Sometimes the hair grows back a few years later and stays and sometimes it falls out again. Although there is no treatment for alopecia areata that works 100%, some treatments have been shown to improve this condition. The most popular treatment option, which does not require a doctor’s prescription, is topical minoxidil, such as Rogaine. It can be used alone or in combination with other medicinal treatments that will be discussed later.

The most common prescription treatments for alopecia areata happen to be corticosteroid shots, injected straight into the bald spot, and steroid gels and creams. Corticosteroid injections are a more effective but also the more painful option of the two. The aim of this method is to suppress the autoimmune reaction but it has been proven to work only on small bald spots. Another common treatment for small bald spots, which is also thought to affect the autoimmune reaction, is the application of topical anthralin. Anthralin is a tar-like substance used to treat psoriasis.

Topical immunotherapy is the most commonly prescribed form of treatment for extensive alopecia areata. It uses an immunosuppressant such as cyclosporine that is applied to the skin to trigger a skin reaction similar to mild eczema, which in some cases leads to hair regrowth. This approach is also the most drastic form of treatment, causing an array of negative side effects.

Another therapy for extensive alopecia areata is PUVA, which stands for "psoralen plus ultraviolet A radiation", consisting of a topical or oral application of psoralen, followed by ultraviolet radiation. This method is better tolerated than topical immunotherapy but it is also less effective.

A recently conducted study with sulfasalazine also spells some promise for patients with severe cases of alopecia areata. Sulfasalazine is an anti-inflammatory medication originally used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and is hoped to be soon used to treat alopecia areata.

This is the short list of the most common medicinal alopecia areata treatments. There obviously is a number of other alternative therapies that are claimed to improve this condition and do not require a doctor’s visit. Consumers should be aware that none of these products has ever been clinically shown to be effective in treating spot baldness and such claims are possible only because these remedies are not regulated pharmaceuticals but non-regulated cosmetic products.

A hair system can be any type of borrowed hair in the form of a full wig, hairpiece, weave, hair extension or a toupee, which replaces your own missing hair. Hair systems are for many people the only available option to replace the lost hair and to regain the original appearance of a full head of hair. The quality and the price of hair systems depend on a variety of different factors, such as the type of hair used, the production process used to make the wig, the foundation of the hair system and how it is attached to the scalp.

The type and quality of hair is the first thing many buyers will ask about. Both natural and artificial hair can be used. The natural hair can be of human or animal origin. Some hair systems blend human hair with animal hair to save on cost. The human hair can be of Asian origin (the least expensive option), Indian origin or European origin (the most expensive option). Asian and Indian hair must be often bleached, which makes it brittle and less durable. Considering the harvesting methods, virgin hair is the most expensive and hair gained from combs and hairbrushes the least expensive option. Human hair requires more care than artificial hair but it looks much more authentic, lasts longer and is more comfortable to wear. Its downside is its higher cost and the fact that it can lose its colour when exposed to direct sunshine for long hours or break, as normal human hair does.

As far as the manufacturing process is concerned, hair systems can be hand-tied or machine-tied. Hand-tied wigs can also be custom made, which happens to be the most expensive alternative. The foundation of a hair system can be either a polymer or a mesh. The polymer foundation is a more affordable but also a less comfortable option. A mesh structure breathes better than polymer structures and is therefore more comfortable to wear but, besides being more expensive, it is also a less durable alternative and more difficult to maintain. Mesh is suitable for creating authentic-looking hairlines, so many wigs combine both technologies, mesh for the hairline and the polymer structure for the inside of the wig.

The method of attaching a wig to your scalp and blending it with your existing hair is an extremely important factor. There are semi-permanently attached hair systems that are either glued to your scalp or woven into your existing hair and these can only be removed in a hair salon once every five or six weeks for maintenance. These systems cling tightly to your scalp but can be unhealthy and uncomfortable to wear after a couple of weeks of use. The temporarily-attached hair systems use double-sided sticky tape or clips to fix the hairpiece to your scalp and existing hair. They can be removed and cleaned any time you like but can also be easily and unexpectedly removed, leading to embarrassing situations.

The final, determining factor when deciding on buying a hair system is obviously the cost. Any hair system is temporary in nature, it will not last for ever like hair transplants do. Nevertheless, they can be also quite expensive. Hair transplants can cost as much as ten thousand dollars or more. Although you can get a wig for a few hundred dollars, the more authentic pieces cost a few thousand dollars and require regular maintenance costing a couple of hundred dollars every month. In addition, you have to buy at least two identical pieces, one to wear while the other is being maintained by your hair salon. Though not inexpensive, hair systems are often the only option to replace the lost hair for many alopecia areata patients, as well as a large percentage of female hair loss sufferers.