Alopecia Symptoms

How to tell Alopecia Areata Symptoms

The Alopecia symptoms you experience for Alopecia Areata will largely depend on the type of hair loss you have. There are certain common symptoms you will see for the various types of hair loss.

Male Pattern Baldness is most frequently diagnosed because of a receding hairline. Hair may also fall out from the crown of the head. This disorder actually affects both men and women, despite its name.

Female Pattern Baldness will present a thinning of the hair over the entire head, rather than a receding hairline. You will notice that each time you brush your hair, the brush is full of loose hairs.

Alopecia Areata is known by the rapidity of the hair loss. It happens quite suddenly. You should see oval or round patches where hair has fallen out. There are sometimes tiny little hairs to be seen in these patches. Another symptom of this type of hair loss is pitted nails on both the fingers and toes.

Hair loss that is related to stress is more gradual. You will notice more shedding as the stress increases. With a gentle tug you will easily be able to pull out more hair. Once the cause of stress is alleviated, this trend should alter.

Fungal infections also cause hair loss. Depending on what kind of infection is present, you may notice patches of hair loss. There may be black dots inside these patches, or there may not be. Sometimes it may feel itchy or scaly. Redness and inflammation may or may not be present.

When you go in for a diagnosis, your doctor should ask about your health history and any alopecia symptoms you are seeing. They should do a physical exam and take special note of any areas you are losing hair. They should look at the scalp's condition and may take samples of hair or scalp tissue to examine under a microscope. They may check to see if you have hair loss on any other parts of your body.

The doctor should ask about your symptoms of alopecia areata and any medications you are taking and what kind of hair care regime you do on a daily or periodic basis. Depending on what they find initially, they may also want to take blood tests or do a scalp biopsy.

Depending on what the doctor finds, they may recommend supplements, medications, special shampoos or a change in diet. Lifestyle changes may be enough in some cases. In severe cases, surgical alternatives may be the best choice.

While there is nothing that can be done to prevent some forms of Alopecia Symptoms and hair loss, you can make sure you don't pull your hair too tightly when you are styling it. Use as few chemical treatments as possible on your hair. Practice stress management techniques to keep from becoming overwhelmed. Get appropriate medical care as needed. Eat a good, balanced diet of healthy foods. Stay away from junk food, fast food and over-processed foods.

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