Tuesday, November 14, 2006

ALOPECIA AREATA

ALOPECIA AREATA IS ONE OF THE CAUSE FOR HAIR FALLING AND BALDNESS

Alopecia areata : This is a condition of the hairy surface, charecterized by one or more circumscribed, rounded areas of complete baldness without any apparent change in the skin. There will be one or more small,round,smooth white spots without any hair. The skin will be sound. The male beard, eyebrows,axillae pubis may also be involved. The patches may remain stationary or extend in the periphedy or join together forming irregular shapes. The patches appear polished, thin softened and somewhat depressed. There may be short hairs at the border of the patches and there may be removed by the slightest traction. Such short hair may also be seen in the central part of the patches.Gradually there will be growth in the peripheral areas and whole patch is covered with hair of lighter colour which may alos fall off. This process may repeat resulting in growth of normal hair. This may also recur or affect other areas. There are other forms of Alopecia areata. In one form the patch spreads like a band around the head and within the hair line. In another variety there will be minute pea-to-bean-sized patches resembling scar tissue.Other forms occur due to injuries to a nerve, neuralgia or neuritis and they may be irregular in shape.
This variety is supposed to affect both males and females equally but generally those between the ages of ten and thirty. There are two etiological theories - one regards alopecia areata as parasitic and contagious and the other as trophoneurotic and non- contageous. The contageous variety is more common.