Dealing with scarring alopecia.

blog image Dealing with Scarring Alopecia

Alopecia with scarring is a severe and difficult type of hair loss. Inflammatory cells in the body assault the follicles, replacing them with scar tissue. It causes bald, smooth spots where hair will never grow back.

Scarring hair loss comes in several kinds. These consist of central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia, lichen planopilaris, and frontal fibrosing alopecia.

Even while many people find the idea of having permanent scarring hair loss to be heartbreaking, with an early diagnosis there is chance for keeping your current hair. It is true that hair follicle degeneration can be stopped in its tracks with the right diagnosis and treatment. In actuality, the main idea is to act quickly to prevent the loss of an excessive number of healthy follicles. Hair loss and irreparable follicle destruction might result with any treatment delay.

HealthHoppers collaborates with clinics that have seen remarkable results from early detection of hair loss that leaves scars. They incorporate surgical methods like direct hair implantation (DHI) with cutting-edge medicinal therapy.

Non-Scarring vs Scarring Alopecia

One kind of hair loss is alopecia. Alopecia non-scarring occurs when the hair follicles are not irreversibly harmed. In this instance, with the right care, the hair can grow back over time. The following are the most prevalent types of non-scarring hair loss:

  • Male/female pattern hair loss (androgenetic alopecia)
  • Alopecia areata
  • Telogen effluvium
  • Traction alopecia

The irreversible destruction of the hair follicle as a result of inflammation and the creation of scar tissue is known as scarring alopecia. The illness process targets the hair follicle itself. Future hair development is impossible as inflammatory cells replace the hair follicle with scar tissue. This kind of hair loss occurs in about 3% of all dermatological cases.

What Are the Different Types of Scarring Alopecia

There are two types of scarring alopecias: primary and secondary. The following are the primary 'cicatricial' alopecias, or scarring, types:

  • Central Centrifugal Cicatricial Alopecia (CCCA): Black women and women of African heritage are more likely to experience CCCA. Hair loss begins at the crown and spreads in a circular motion outward. Permanent hair loss may result from inflammation and gradual scarring.
  • Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia (FFA): Frontal fibrosing alopecia is the most prevalent type of hair loss that leaves scars. Ten percent of cases of hair loss have FFA. At the frontal hairline, eyebrows, and other body parts, it results in scarring and hair loss.
  • Lichen Planopilaris (LPP): Patchy hair loss is a symptom of the chronic inflammatory disease lichen planopilaris. The sides and rear of the scalp are the areas most frequently affected. Scarring results from the lymphocytic inflammatory cells' attack on the hair follicles.
  • Folliculitis Decalvans: An inflammation caused by neutrophils is called folliculitis decalvans. It results in scarring hair loss and inflamed, pus-filled patches on the scalp.
  • Dissecting Cellulitis: Abscesses, scarring alopecia, and maybe systemic signs are all possible presentations of dissecting cellulitis.
  • Lupus Erythematosus: An inflammatory disease called lupus erythematosus causes the body to attack its own tissues and cells, including hair follicles. Permanent hair loss and even scars may result from this.


What Does Scarring Alopecia Look Like?

Depending on the exact kind of condition, scarring hair loss can manifest in many ways. Early active stages are usually characterized by:

  • Patches of hair loss
  • Redness and inflammation
  • Scaling, flaking, or peeling
  • Pustules, pus-filled spots
  • Itching, burning, or pain
  • Crusting or oozing lesions


As the inflammation worsens, more and more hair follicles are destroyed. Little spots of baldness merge into wider stretches of glossy, silky scalp. On the scalp, permanent scar tissue formation stops additional hair regeneration.

Depending on the type of hair loss, there may be differences in the patterns and places of hair loss. For instance, CCCA affects the crown region and proceeds in a circular manner outward. The sides and rear of the scalp are favored by lichen planopilaris. The frontotemporal hairline recedes in frontal fibrosing alopecia.

Can Hair Grow Back with Scarring Alopecia?

Sadly, permanent hair loss is a result of scarring. The ability to regenerate hair is biologically lost in any destroyed hair follicle. This is why prompt diagnosis and intensive care are so important. Doctors confirm the diagnosis with additional laboratory tests and scalp biopsies.

The intention is to stop the process before more follicles are permanently destroyed. This makes it possible to start treatment as soon as possible. Any damaged follicles, though, will always be bald.

What are the Treatments for Scarring Alopecia?

The majority of scarring alopecia treatment approaches are intended to stop additional irreversible hair loss. Reduce the underlying inflammatory process and stop more irreversible hair loss in its tracks. Common therapeutic modalities consist of the following:

  • Antibiotics and Anti-Inflammatories: Antibiotics taken orally, such as minocycline or doxycycline, can lessen inflammation and combat bacterial infections. Inflammation is also reduced by topical corticosteroid creams and solutions administered directly to the afflicted areas.
  • Steroid Injections: Doctors immediately apply anti-inflammatory drugs to the scalp to treat hair loss that leaves scars. Triamcinolone or other corticosteroids are typically used to lessen inflammation in the afflicted areas.
  • Immunosuppressants: Immunosuppressive drugs are prescribed by doctors for severe autoimmune hair loss. These medications reduce the immune system's hyperactivity. In diseases like lupus erythematosus, immunosuppressants are beneficial.
  • Immunomodulators: By altering or reorienting the immune system's inflammatory response, hydroxychloroquine prevents hair follicles from being attacked.
  • Hair Growth Stimulation: Certain regenerative therapies, like platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and minoxidil solution, may aid in promoting hair growth in the vicinity of the damaged areas.
  • Hair Transplantation: Bald areas can have hair restored with hair transplants if hair loss has left scars. For hair loss scarring, physicians employ either the DHI method or follicular unit extraction (FUE). At HealthHoppers, you can examine the various possibilities and select the operation of your choice.


Conclusion

Coping with scarring hair loss can be a challenging condition. It's very depressing to watch your hair thinning and eventually disappearing.

The important thing is to move fast before too much irreparable harm is done. Recognizing warning indicators such as redness, scaling, or newly developed bald patches may be beneficial. Follicles that have already developed scars won't grow back.

Treatments, however, can halt more damage in its tracks. Being proactive and looking into all available treatment options are necessary to prevent scarring alopecia. A thorough management strategy might lessen its obvious appearance. You may always get a free hair evaluation and consultation at HealthHoppers.