Alopecia Androgenetic - Symptoms, Causes and Treatment
What is Alopecia Androgenetic ?
Alopecia Androgenetic is a specific kind of hair loss from scalp mediated by systemic androgens and genetic factors, or baldness in both men and women.
Other names are hereditary thinning, androgenetic, or androgen-dependent alopecia; common baldness; diffuse hair loss; effluvium; and male or female pattern baldness.
Causes of Alopecia Androgenetic
- Genetics, hormones including androgens and estrogens, enzymes, androgen receptors,and possibly even inflammation are the main causes.
- Baldness in men occurs when the follicle, which is a cavity in the skin where hair grows, shrinks over time, resulting in shorter and finer hair. The end result is a very small follicle with no hair inside.
- Mainly stress causes hair loss but this has never been confirmed by scientific studies, but this cause can not be neglected.
What are the symptoms of Alopecia Androgenetic ?
- In men, hair is lost in a well-defined pattern, beginning above both temples. Further days, the hairline takes "M" shape. Hair also thins at the crown (near the top of the head), often progressing to partial or complete baldness.
- In women, there is no complete hair loss, but over the top and front of the head. It affects approximately one-third of all susceptible women, but is most commonly seen after menopause.
Alopecia Androgenetic Treatment
- Minoxidil (Rogaine®) - It is a liquid solution to stimulate new hair growth to prevent further hair loss in case of hereditary balding. Minoxidil is applied on the affected areas of the scalp twice daily. The solution should be lightly spread over the affected area with a finger, and no need of massage. The result will be after approximately 4 months of treatment. Generally hair growth is thinner and finer than the original hair. The extra strength 5% solution is for men only; the regular strength 2% solution is for both men and women. Its side effects are most commonly scalp irritation and dryness, dizziness and increased heart rate in some people.
- Oral finasteride (Propecia®, Proscar®) - It is a pill that blocks the production of the male hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT). By reducing DHT levels in the scalp, it decreases DHT's effects on the hair follicles, reversing the process of hair loss. It is prescribed only for men. Its side effects are diminished libido and sexual dysfunction.
- Surgical Treatment - There are various surgical options like hair transplanation, macrografting and micrografting or scalp reduction and rotational movement of hair-bearing scalp.
- Hair transplantation involves removing small pieces of hair and follicles from the back and sides of the head and relocating them to the bald or thinning area. Hair transplantation is expensive, time consuming, and sometimes painful. It requires three to four sessions over 2 years to fill in an area. Its side effects are bleeding, infection, numbness, pain, swelling of the forehead and face, scarring at donor site or recipient site, poor or no growth of grafts, unnatural appearance of transplanted hair.
- Scalp reduction involves decreasing the size of the scalp. The doctor stretches the skin on the top of the head and cuts some of it away, thereby decreasing the total area of bald skin. In a procedure known as a flap, the doctor stretches a piece of skin that has hair on it and folds it over the bald area. Scalp reduction is often combined with hair transplantation.
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