Treatments for Alopecia

March 30, 2023

2 min read

Alopecia can cause hair loss on your scalp, face, and other body parts. It is a type of autoimmune disease and can occur when the body attacks its hair follicles, causing hair loss in different body parts.

You can have alopecia of the following types:

Alopecia Areata

The condition can cause baldness in patches, usually on the scalp but also in the eyebrows, eyelashes, and anywhere in the body. Alopecia areata can be of the following types:

Persistent alopecia: It happens when the bald patches do not improve or worsen and stay the same.
Alopecia totalis: When hair loss occurs in the entire scalp.
Alopecia universal: The condition involves complete hair loss in the scalp as well as other parts of the body.
Diffuse alopecia areata: This involves sudden thinning of hair all over the scalp instead of falling in patches. It can occur due to stress, hormonal problems, and medicinal side effects.
Ophiasis alopecia areata: This causes hair loss in the sides and lower back of the scalp in the form of a band.

Treatment options for alopecia areata

Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease; sometimes, the hair grows back in time. In other situations, your dermatologist can prescribe:

Steroid shots are given in the doctor's office
Medicines to put on your bald patches for hair regrowth
JAK inhibitor as a pill to be taken daily
Topical immunotherapy treatments

Androgenic Alopecia

The condition causes hair loss following a unique pattern for men and women.

Male pattern: In men, hair loss occurs on the crown as a receding hairline. The sides and lower back of the scalp get affected later or remain unaffected.
Female pattern: It is different as the hair thinning starts along the parting line, eventually widening with time. It rarely causes complete baldness.

Treatment options for androgenic alopecia

Low-level laser therapy to stimulate hair follicles, promoting hair growth
Medications, like minoxidil,finasteride and dutasteride

Traction Alopecia

Hair loss can happen if you regularly put stress on your hair by wearing your hair in tight braids, ponytails, and buns. With time, the continuous pulling of hair can damage the hair follicles causing permanent hair loss.

Treatment options for traction alopecia

Hair transplantation works well in this condition. You can prevent this condition by rotating and switching to less damaging hairstyles.

Cicatricial Alopecia

Hair loss occurs due to inflammation of the scalp that destroys hair follicles. It can have other symptoms like itching, pain, and a hot sensation on the scalp and is predominant in women wearing tight hairstyles.

Treatment options for traction alopecia

Hair transplant and topical and oral medications can help regrow hair in such cases.

As you can see, there are treatment options regardless of the type of alopecia you have. Some people have opted for natural methods, such as vitamins, supplements, aromatherapy, essential oils, probiotics, and acupuncture, though there isn’t a lot of evidence supporting these. If you’ve tried a natural method for alopecia and have had success, please share it with here with other Healthread readers.

General information, not medical advice

This article can't account for your health history or current treatment. Talk to a qualified clinician before you change anything about your care.

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On this page

Alopecia Areata

Treatment options for alopecia areata

Androgenic Alopecia

Treatment options for androgenic alopecia

Traction Alopecia

Treatment options for traction alopecia

Cicatricial Alopecia

Treatment options for traction alopecia