Who alopecia definition?

What is the clinical definition of alopecia?

Alopecia is the medical term for hair loss. Hair loss may occur naturally or it may be related to disease or the use of certain medications. Symptoms of alopecia vary depending on the cause of the condition and range from a small bald patch to a complete loss of all body hair.

What mean by alopecia?

The word alopecia means hair loss. A person with alopecia universalis loses all their hair, including eyebrows and eyelashes, facial hair, body hair, and hair on the head.

What does alopecia mean in Greek?

The term alopecia, used by physicians dating back to Hippocrates, originates from the Greek word for fox, “alopex,” and was so-named due to fur loss seen in fox mange. “Areata” is derived from the Latin word, “area,” meaning a vacant space or patch.

What is alopecia caused by?

What causes alopecia areata? Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease. This means that your immune system mistakenly attacks a part of your body. When you have alopecia areata, cells in your immune system surround and attack your hair follicles (the part of your body that makes hair).

What are the three most common types of alopecia?

Most people know alopecia to be a form of hair loss. However, what they don’t always know is that there are three main types of the condition – alopecia areata, alopecia totalis and alopecia universalis.

How can you prevent alopecia?

Can alopecia be treated?

There’s currently no cure for alopecia areata. However, there are treatments that may help hair grow back more quickly and that can prevent future hair loss, as well as unique ways to cover up the hair loss. Resources are also available to help people cope with stress related to hair loss.

Does stress cause alopecia?

Excessive physical or emotional stress—like that associated with injury, illness, or surgery—can cause one of two types of hair loss: Alopecia areata: This stress-induced hair loss involves a white blood cell attack on the hair follicles.

What is the best treatment for alopecia?

Topical minoxidil

Minoxidil, commonly known as Rogaine, is a topical treatment that’s easy to apply and can be easily purchased over the counter. Minoxidil works to help the hair grow faster once the follicle is no longer under attack by the immune system and is capable of producing hair.

What do you call someone with alopecia?

Dermatology. Alopecia universalis (AU), also known as alopecia areata universalis, is a medical condition involving the loss of all body hair, including eyebrows, eyelashes, chest hair, armpit hair, and pubic hair.

What causes female alopecia?

Alopecia can be divided into disorders in which the hair follicle is normal but the cycling of hair growth is abnormal and disorders in which the hair follicle is damaged. Androgenetic alopecia is the most common cause of hair loss in women.

Is Alopecia genetic?

Is alopecia areata hereditary? Yes, heredity plays a role. Alopecia areata is a ‘polygenic disease’ which requires the contribution of many genes to be inherited from both parents to bring about the disease, as well as a contribution from the environment.