Cicatricial Alopecia

What is alopecia?

Alopecia (also known as the baldness or hair loss) refers to loss or absence of hair on part or all of the scalp and in some cases, other body parts. Hair loss may be temporary or permanent and can affect people of all ages. Although alopecia can occur anywhere on the body, it is more painful when it affects the scalp. It may be a small bare area, which is easily masked by hairstyling to a more diffuse and obvious pattern [3, 4].

Causes of alopecia
The causes of alopecia include
1. Genetic
2. prolonged fever
3. Hormonal changes such as childbirth, use of birth control pills or thyroid disease
4. Cancer treatment such as chemotherapy
5. Hair continues to pull or rub the scalp
6. Burns or radiation therapy
7. Emotional stress or physical
8. Ringworm of the scalp (tinea capitis)
9. Some prescription

(To name a few)

Types of Alopecia
Different types of alopecia associated with loss of hair on the scalp in particular,
1. androgenetic alopecia (genetic hair loss)
androgenetic alopecia, also known as Baldness is a major problem affecting men and is such that by age 50, up 50% of men who are genetically predisposed to be affected. It is characterized by gradual loss of hair patterns on the scalp and its preconditions are genetic predisposition and sufficient circulating androgens (steroid hormones such as testosterone or androsterone, that promotes male characteristics). According to Sinclair (1998) all white males have a predisposition to autosomal, and as such, 96% lose hair to some extent. Sinclair also noted that white men are four times more likely to develop premature baldness, that black men. Hair loss does not usually begin until after puberty with a highly variable rate of progression [1, 5].

The condition is fairly common in women and is known as hair loss in women. Among the women, "it is characterized by a reduction in hair density diffuse on the crown and frontal scalp with retention of the frontal hairline [6]. Birch et al (2002) mentioned that in some women, hair loss can affect a small area of the frontal zone, while in others the entire scalp is involved. In advanced female hair loss, hair becomes very sparse on top of the bit of leather Scalp hair is a rim of preserved along the frontal margin. The top (crown or top of the head) baldness in men is rare among women, but a model of female baldness is not uncommon for men [6]. The nature of androgen-dependent and the genetic basis of female hair loss has not been clearly established, although a study by Sinclair et al (2005) showed that androgens play an important role in development of hair loss in women.

2. Alopecia areata (AA)
Alopecia areata (AA) is a common immune-mediated form nonscarring hair loss, which occurs in all ethnic groups, age (more common in children and young adults), and both sexes, and affects approximately 1.7% of the population [8, 9]. Alopecia areata is unpredictable and patients usually present with several episodes of hair loss and regrowth in their lifetime. Recovery of hair loss may be complete, partial or nonexistent. It is believed that 34 to 50% of patients with AA will recover in one year, while 15 to 25% will progress to total hair loss or loss of all scalp and body hair with a full recovery is rare [8, 11]. It usually presents as a spot one or more oval spots confluent asymptomatic (without signs or symptoms of disease), alopecia well circumscribed with a severity ranging from a small bare site with the loss of hair all over the scalp. features frequent patches AA exclamation point hairs, which may be near.