Your hair is an integral part of your physical appearance. You have always taken great pride in your flowing mane, and until recently, it has always looked perfect. However, lately, you’ve noticed it has started falling out. You find a small bald patch in one spot and then another. Soon, it seems like the spots have spread and your hair is getting thinner and thinner. When you go see your doctor, you are diagnosed with alopecia. This medical condition affects both men and women and can deal quite a blow to your confidence. Find out some more about the ins and outs of alopecia.
Alopecia Is an Autoimmune Disease
When you notice your hair falling out in droves, it signals that something is wrong inside your body. Alopecia is an autoimmune disorder caused by your body’s immune system malfunctioning and attacking healthy cells by mistake. The reason for this is still a mystery, and while there are treatments such as alopecia st louis to help you deal with some of the loss, the underlying cause may never be completely cured.
You May Lose More Than the Hair on Your Head
As the disorder progresses, it may cause you to start losing hair on other parts of your body, not just your head. Your eyebrows, lashes, and follicles on arms and legs may begin to malfunction. However, there is no way to predict if your case will progress this way or if it will just affect the hair on your head.
Your Hair May Come Back
Autoimmune diseases usually work in cycles. You may find yourself losing clumps of hair, and then just as quickly you notice new growth. Sometimes the new hair stays, and other times it falls out before it can fully root.
Being diagnosed with alopecia is the first step in coming to terms with your hair loss. Treating the bald spots may be the best thing you can do in the short and long run.