Alopecia
- Maria Sazhina
- Nov 28, 2022
- 4 min read
Updated: Feb 9
Alopecia (lit. "baldness" from others-Greek. ἀλωπεκία through Lat. alopecia "baldness, baldness") is a pathological hair loss that leads to their partial or complete disappearance in certain areas of the head or trunk. The most common types of alopecia include androgenetic (androgenetic), diffuse or symptomatic (effluviums), focal or nest (areata), scarring (scarring).
In this post we will look at the most common type of alopecia – androgenic.
Androgenetic alopecia (the same as androgenic alopecia, or male-type baldness) is a thinning of the hair, leading in men to baldness of the parietal and frontal areas, in women to thinning of the hair in the area of the central parting of the head with spreading to its lateral surfaces. Baldness of the "male" type is associated with an increase in androgens — masculinizing hormones produced by organisms of both sexes.
Degenerative changes in androgenetic alopecia affect not only the hair follicles — the scalp skin is thinning, blood flow and oxygen content in the skin are reduced; in alopecia, the follicles lie at a depth of up to 1 mm, while in the scalp without signs of baldness, they pierce the skin and adhere to the subcutaneous neurovascular plexus (the depth of the follicles is normal: in men — about 4 mm, in women — 3 mm).
As a rule, the hair on the head remains, but becomes thin, short, colorless (fluffy hair) and can no longer cover the scalp — a bald spot is formed. 10-12 years after the manifestation of alopecia, the mouths of the follicles become overgrown with connective tissue, and they can no longer produce even fluffy hair.
The disease is also associated with increased sensitivity of fibroblasts (connective tissue cells) of hair follicles to oxidative stress.
Oxidative stress occurs with the increasing intake and/or formation of free radicals inside the body and cells and the predominance of oxidative reactions over reducing ones. Cells from the balding area are more sensitive to oxidative stress than cells from the occipital part that is not affected by baldness
Treatment
In addition to vitamin complexes and basic treatment, it is necessary to reconsider the diet. In case of baldness and hair loss, food should contain a large amount of zinc and copper. "The diet should include liver, seafood, grains and cereals, mushrooms, green vegetables, orange and lemon juice – these products should be consumed at least once a day. The exclusion of coffee, alcohol and extractive substances contribute to the normalization of the autonomic nervous system, and in addition, these substances are contraindicated while taking medications prescribed for alopecia"
With androgenic alopecia, medicinal solutions containing hair growth stimulants contribute to the restoration of hair in a significant part of patients. However, it should be borne in mind that their effectiveness depends on the duration of use. Usually, hair growth is observed 10-12 months after the start of therapy. An alternative way to treat androgen alopecia is to take hormonal drugs to correct the hormonal background and subsequent hair transplantation. However, the risks of side effects from hormone therapy and the high cost of surgery stop most patients.
Currently, the method of injecting platelet–enriched autoplasm - PRP has been widely used. PRP therapy is an innovative technology that helps to restore the health of the hair in a short time, to restore the lost volume and beauty to them. In addition, PRP therapy began to be used for the prevention and treatment of hair loss in 2009 and since then this technique has become extremely popular with trichologists and their patients. Initially, this technique was used for the treatment of androgenic alopecia, but after a couple of years, PRP therapy was actively used for all types of hair loss, as well as to improve the overall condition of the scalp and hair.
The main advantages of the procedure are:
no side effects due to the use of the patient's own blood plasma;
non–surgical nature of the procedure - injections into the scalp practically leave no traces, do not violate the integrity of tissues, do not lead to the formation of scars and scars;
PRP therapy, unlike hair transplantation, does not have a mechanical effect on the hair follicles, so the process of skin restoration occurs very quickly, the traces of injections disappear after a few days.
Indications for the procedure:
hair loss of any type (androgenic, nesting, diffuse);
preparation for hair transplant surgery and recovery after it;
slow hair growth;
chronic diseases of the scalp (psoriasis, seborrhea, dandruff, seborrheic dermatitis);
deterioration of the quality and appearance of hair (dullness, thinning, fragility, thinning).
Plasma enriched with platelets is injected into the patient with injections into problem areas of the scalp. This leads to the activation of hair follicles, which begin to produce healthy hair. In addition, after the procedure, the activity of the sebaceous glands is normalized, which makes it possible to eliminate many dermatological diseases.
PRP therapy is a safe and effective procedure. The results of treatment are preserved for two or more years!
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