Focal (pattern) baldness

Alopecia areata or patchy baldness or alopecia areata (alopecia areata) –is a chronic autoimmune disease possibly mediated by autoreactive T cells that affect hair follicles and sometimes nails. Cells of the immune system perceive hair as a foreign object and try to get rid of it. Self-medication for focal baldness can aggravate the problem and activate more severe hair loss.

The disease begins with the sudden appearance on the scalp of one or several small, round areas of baldness, which slowly increase in size and over time can reach 5-10 cm in diameter. Areas of baldness, increasing in size, can merge with each other, forming large areas of complete hair loss. Having reached a larger or smaller size, areas of baldness stop growing and after some time, most often after several months (sometimes years), they begin to be overgrown with vellus hair, and then with normal hair. In some cases, growing hair initially appears gray and only later becomes pigmented.

In addition to the scalp, alopecia areata can occur in the beard area, pubic area, or eyebrows. In some cases, the lesion, starting with the formation of individual bald spots, can lead to complete baldness of the scalp (total alopecia) or baldness, with the loss of not only long hair, but also vellus hair on the head and body.

There are a huge number of causes for this disease, including stress, helminthiasis, autoimmune thyroiditis, iron deficiency anemia, decreased microelements in the body, etc. In some situations, focal baldness is hereditary. Genetic predisposition is an important factor in the development of alopecia areata. A family history of the disease is observed in 10-20% of patients. Environmental factors that predispose to the development of the disease are infections, medications, trauma, stress, and in many cases they remain unclear.

The treatment method is selected depending on the location and extent of the lesions and the degree of activity of the pathological process. In the successful treatment of this disease, correct diagnosis and identification of the cause are important. The treatment plan depends on this. Basic treatment includes the use of plasma therapy, application of glucocorticosteroid-based creams to the lesions, intradermal administration of glucocorticosteroids in combination with mesotherapy to the lesions of baldness, and internal therapy.

In some situations, consultation with related specialists (general practitioner, endocrinologist) is necessary.