Is there a cure androgenetic alopecia? There are a number of methods that have proven effective in the fight against the disease. Let's look at what leads to the development of a malfunction in the body, how to stop the pathological hair loss.
Risk groups
According to research results, under the age of 25 years,
androgenetic alopecia affects no more than 30% of the stronger sex. In the fifth or sixth decade of life, symptoms of the disease appear in half of the men.
Among women, pathology is much less common. Most often, direct signs of alopecia occur here in response to a sharp change in hormonal levels. In about 30% of women, the disease appears after menopause.
Types of androgenic alopecia
There are several varieties of the disease:
- By the type of horseshoe - the most common type of androgenic alopecia. The disease is manifested by a sharp, enhanced hair loss around the entire circumference of the head. In this case, the rarest cover is observed in the frontal part, as well as in the temples. At the final stage of the development of pathology, the parietal zone is finally freed from the hair. If you look at the head from above, the bald area resembles the shape of the Latin letter U.
- By type of nest - as in the previous case, the process begins abruptly and is accompanied by abundant thinning of hair throughout the head. The main manifestation is characterized by the appearance of a completely bald roundish site in the parietal zone.
- Focal type - bald areas occur in random order in any part of the head. Moreover, bald patches most often have a round shape.
- Cicatricial alopecia can be caused by burns, exposure of the scalp to adverse radiation. In some cases, it is a consequence of the development of diseases such as tuberculosis, syphilis, leishmaniasis.
- Androgenic alopecia in men is of a mixed type - simultaneously with the appearance of bald patches in the frontal part of the head, a round, hairless area on the crown is formed.
Causes of the disease
The etiology of the most sudden, severe manifestations of androgenetic alopecia is still unknown. Therefore, when identifying the causes that cause pathology, specialists traditionally consider a set of factors.
If we talk about focal alopecia, severe stresses often lead to its manifestations. The formation of foci of hair loss can also be observed with autoimmune failures, intoxication of the body. Alopecia areata is often traumatic. In the latter case, baldness in the randomly located parts of the head can be caused by too careful pulling of the hair with an elastic band, injuries, etc.
Bald men often have hormonal disruptions in the body. Imbalance between androgens and estrogens can lead to partial baldness. In the presence of this factor, thinning of the hair throughout the head is usually observed.
Alopecia can be hereditary. With the genetic type of the disease, baldness often manifests itself at an early age, and hair transplantation is the only treatment option.
Symptoms
The first clinical manifestation of the disease is the formation of a thinning hairline throughout the head. After a month, the lost hair can completely recover. However, soon the process grows with renewed vigor, and completely bald zones already occupy a much larger area. In some cases, a symptom is the loss of eyebrows and eyelashes.
Drug treatment
Can androgenetic alopecia be cured with medication? There are a number of medicines that have proven effective in combating hair loss:
- "Spironolactone" prevents the development of stagnant processes in the body, helps to improve blood circulation and supply damaged hair follicles with nutrients. The drug is available in the form of tablets. It is used in combination with hormone replacement therapy. The noticeable effect of taking the drug manifests itself over several months.
- "Minoxidil" normalizes blood pressure, activates the flow of oxygen to damaged cells of the scalp. The drug is applied topically, in other words, applied directly to bald areas. For the manifestation of noticeable results, therapy occurs over 4-6 months.
- "Finasteride" activates the production of the hormone dihydrotestosterone, which is required in the body to strengthen hair follicles. The drug is recommended for men and women who suffer from moderate and mild manifestations of androgenetic alopecia. Take the drug daily until a noticeable effect.
- "Cimetidine" - the use of drugs for alopecia is recommended for women. Its use helps to block the intake of histamine hormone in the blood, which is reflected in a decrease in the effect of overdrying of hair follicles.
Darsonval for androgenetic alopecia
Darsonval is an apparatus with the help of which an impact on the affected areas of the skin of the head with a current of high voltage, but low power. In this case, there is no formation of heat in the tissues. AC causes weak muscle contractions.
Is it possible to cure androgenetic alopecia with darsonval? Short-term spasms of blood vessels that arise as a result of the use of the apparatus help to improve blood circulation in the superficial and deep layers of the skin. Thus, the effect of venous stagnation is eliminated, the flow of oxygen to the affected hair follicles improves, and the inflamed tissue sections resolve. A slight electrical discharge also has a bactericidal effect on the scalp.
The result of therapy with darsonval is a decrease in the saturation of sebaceous secrets, a decrease in the activity of sweat glands. It is these manifestations that are often the culprits of baldness.
Laser therapy
With androgenetic alopecia, bald men often resort to laser treatment. It is most advisable to take a course of therapy in private clinics that have modern, powerful facilities, which make it possible to achieve noticeable results in a short time. The so-called laser combs are a home alternative to such devices. The advantage of the latter is the possibility of carrying out treatment at any convenient time, as well as saving money on attending special procedures in medical centers.
Hair transplantation
Mostly those patients who suffer from a hereditary form of alopecia resort to transplanting their own hair. The application of the method allows you to restore the previous density of the hairline and in those cases if none of the above methods of therapy gave a result.
During the procedure, healthy hair follicles are surgically transferred from the lateral areas and the occipital region of the head to bald areas. The result is the maintenance of normal hair growth throughout life, provided that the transplanted follicles have taken root in a new place.
Today, as an alternative to the procedure, scientists are developing methods for cloning hair with a view to their subsequent transplantation to various patients.
Prevention
Currently, many men and women are trying to find the answer to the question: is it possible to cure androgenetic alopecia? In fact, it is easier to eliminate the problem at its first manifestations than to resort to long-term complex treatment.
If symptoms of androgenetic alopecia are detected, proper hair care should be provided. First of all, to wash your hair, you should purchase high-quality shampoos, using warm water with a temperature of not more than 40 and not lower than 35 ° C when performing the procedure. It is not recommended to use a hair dryer to dry your hair. Since wet follicles are more fragile, do not comb wet hair.
To prevent loss, proper nutrition allows. To supply tissues with useful substances, the main share of the diet should be fresh vegetables and fruits. A prerequisite for preventing the development of alopecia is the use of protein foods: lean meat, fish, eggs, dairy products. It is believed that the abundant intake of vitamins, carbohydrates and trace elements in the body significantly slows down the development of processes that affect the decrease in the strength of hair follicles.
To prevent hair loss, it is worth reducing the use of too sweet food, smoked meats, alcohol. You also need to avoid stressful situations. At the first manifestations of alopecia, it is necessary to undergo examination by a dermatologist or trichologist.
Finally
As practice shows, the effectiveness and results of therapy for androgenetic alopecia depend on the stage of development of the process and the time of contacting a specialist. Unfortunately, pathology is characterized by fleeting development. Therefore, during treatment, the bill always goes for months.