National Alopecia Areata Awareness Month

Hair Loss In Patches? What Is It And How You Can Treat It…

This September is National Alopecia Areata Awareness Month, a month to increase public awareness of Alopecia Areata in local communities across the nation. At Advanced Dermatology and Aesthetic Medicine, we are proud to join the growing community of supporters in helping bring attention and understanding to Alopecia Areata and the need for an acceptable treatment.

What Causes Alopecia Areata?

Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease. This means that your immune system mistakenly attacks a part of your body.

When you have Alopecia Areata, cells in your immune system surround and attack your hair follicles (the part of your body that makes hair). This attack on a hair follicle causes the attached hair to fall out.   People can develop hair loss on any area of the body, such as eyelashes, eyebrows, or beard area. Wherever the hair loss occurs, it happens without any signs of a rash, redness, or scarring.

The more hair follicles that your immune system attacks, the more hair loss you will have.

It’s important to know that while this attack causes hair loss, the attack rarely destroys the hair follicles. This means that your hair can regrow! The less hair loss you have, the more likely it is that your hair will regrow on its own.

Living with Alopecia Areata

Living with Alopecia Areata can be just as much of a mental struggle as a physical one. Because hair loss and regrowth from Alopecia Areata is unpredictable and sometimes cyclical (comes back again and again), having the condition can be frustrating and emotionally challenging for many people.

Even though reactions to the disease are different for everyone, there are some common emotions that many people who have Alopecia Areata and the people around them say that they experience. These include feelings of grief, anxiety, loss, fear, embarrassment, loneliness, and anger.

Alopecia Areata Treatment

Treatment for Alopecia Areata is not a one size fits all solution. Work with your dermatologist to find the right Alopecia Areata treatment options to reduce or eliminate symptoms. Some of the potential options include the use of corticosteroids. A powerful anti-inflammatory drug that can suppress the immune system. These are most commonly administered through local injections, topical ointment application, or orally.

Finding The Right Care

Dr. Monica Rani and the Advanced Dermatology and Aesthetic Medicine team, located in the South Loop of Chicago, can evaluate your condition thoroughly and assist you with the right care for your Alopecia Areata. They specialize in educating and working with all patients to provide the best care possible so you can go on living your best life. Contact our team today to book an appointment.