A dermatologist examines a patient suffering from hair loss.

A dermatologist might use a dermoscopy tool to examine your hair and determine what is causing it.

Many things can cause hair loss. Understanding what causes hair loss is essential to providing the best treatment.

Dermatologists are experts in diagnosing hair loss and advising patients about how to regrow their hair.

How do dermatologists diagnose alopecia areata?

Your dermatologist will carefully examine the area where hair loss is occurring and also look at your nails. The dermatologist may also ask you questions. These questions may suffice to diagnose you.

There are many causes of hair loss. Sometimes testing is necessary to confirm that alopecia areata is responsible.

A blood test can be used to check for other immune-related diseases. Sometimes other tests may be necessary.

Your dermatologist will discuss the best treatment options with you if you have alopecia areata.

How do dermatologists treat alopecia areata?

Your dermatologist might recommend waiting to see if you have been suffering from alopecia for less than one year since your diagnosis. The treatment may not be necessary if your hair grows back naturally.

Your dermatologist will assess many factors when treatment is necessary.

• Your age
• How much hair loss do you have
• Hair loss: Where are you located?

It is essential to understand that not all treatments work for everyone. You may need to try several types of therapy and different medications before you find the right one. Here are some suggestions from your dermatologist.

Children aged ten and under

Alopecia areata is often a childhood condition. Hair loss treatment can be helpful for children who have difficulty with it.

There are several treatment options available for children aged ten and under.

• Corticosteroids you apply to bald spots: Prescription-strength corticosteroids can help regrow hair. This medication can be used once or twice daily. This alone may be effective for children.
• Minoxidil: Also known as Rogaine(r), minoxidil is a corticosteroid that can be used to maintain regrowth. Minoxidil is safe for children because it has very few side effects.

The extent of hair loss determines treatment options for children over ten years old.

Alopecia areata patches

Your dermatologist might recommend the following treatments if you are over ten years old and have some patches of alopecia.

• Corticosteroid injections: Your dermatologist will inject the medication into your bald areas to help your hair grow back. These injections are typically given every 4-8 weeks, depending on how needed. You will need to return to the dermatologist for further treatment.
• This treatment is most effective for those with a few hair loss patches. One study showed that more than half of patients who received these injections for patchy hair loss experienced regrowth of at least half their hair within 12 weeks.
• Minoxidil: Also known as Rogaine(r), minoxidil is a treatment that can stimulate hair growth. It should be applied 2 to 3 times per day. It is suitable for your scalp, eyebrows, and beard.
• The application of corticosteroids: This medication is applied to the bald areas once or twice daily as directed by your dermatologist. This medication is less effective for hair regrowth for adults than for children.
• Anthralin is applied to bald areas. The medication should be left on the skin for as long as your dermatologist recommends. After that, you can wash it off. It can cause skin irritation. Minoxidil is also recommended to get the best results.

Rapid or a lot of hair loss

Alopecia areata can cause widespread hair loss (alopecia totalis), complete hair loss (alopecia Universalis), and very few people will ever regrow their hair again.

Your dermatologist might recommend this treatment if you suffer from hair loss.

• Contact immunotherapy: Also known as topical immunotherapy or contact immunotherapy, this treatment aims to alter your immune system, so it doesn’t attack your hair follicles. The following are the qualifications of dermatologists:
  • This treatment has been used for over 30 years to treat widespread hair loss.
  • It was found that between 60% and 70% of patients experience some hair regrowth.
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• If you choose to do this, you will need weekly visits to your dermatologist for treatment. You must keep all appointments. This treatment can stop working if you miss an appointment. Regrown hair may fall out.
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• Your dermatologist or nurse will apply a chemical to your balding skin. A small amount of the chemical will be applied to your skin to prevent allergic reactions.
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• The chemical can be applied to the affected areas for up to 48 hours. It would help if you covered the affected areas, and you should notice a rash with reddening, swelling, itching, and tenderness. The rash can last for up to 36 hours.
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• Contact immunotherapy is administered weekly until your hair grows ultimately. If you don’t raise your hair in 6 months, contact immunotherapy will continue to be issued.
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• Your dermatologist might recommend another treatment you can use at home to increase the effectiveness of this treatment.
• Methotrexate: This medication is recommended for severe hair loss. Dermatologists have discovered the following results from studies of patients who took methotrexate for alopecia areata:
  • A small study showed that 57% of patients with complete hair loss on their scalps or whole bodies had methotrexate-induced total growth.
  • You should see results in 3 months if this medication is effective.
  • Regrowth can take six to twelve months if methotrexate is fully used.
• Your dermatologist may prescribe methotrexate either as a single medication or in combination with another medication called a corticosteroid. The results can be improved by taking methotrexate and a corticosteroid like prednisone.
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• Side effects of methotrexate can include severe or life-threatening side effects. Talk to your dermatologist before you start methotrexate.
• You can regrow your hair by taking a corticosteroid for six weeks. A study of 32 patients suffering from widespread alopecia found that many experienced some hair growth after six weeks of prednisone, a type of corticosteroid.
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• This medication is not recommended for long-term use. Serious side effects can develop. You may also experience hair loss if you stop taking the drug.
• Alopecia areata: This medication is known to be effective in treating hair loss. Tofacitinib and ruxolitinib are the JAK inhibitors studied.
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• These medications can be helpful for some patients, but the hair of those who take them often falls out if they stop taking them. Studies are exploring other options, including extending the duration of the medication or making it available to those with hairless skin.
• Hairpiece, wig, or scalp prosthesis. Your dermatologist might recommend this option for several reasons. A wig or hairpiece is not the best way to cover hair loss. This is an essential step if hair loss affects your self-esteem, anxiety, or depression. Side effects can also be a result of treatment. Some people choose to cover their hair loss to avoid these side effects. Sometimes, treatment might not work.

Alopecia Areata Treatments

Here are some things you should know about treatments for Alopecia Areata

There are no cures for alopecia areata. However, some treatment options can be used. There are many treatment options depending on the type of alopecia you have, your age, and how severe your hair loss is. The treatment aims to block the immune system from attacking the hair or stimulate regrowth. This is especially true for milder forms (less than 50%) of the disease.

There are several options for those suffering from more than 50% hair loss, including topical and oral medications.

Although none of the drugs or devices used for alopecia areata have explicitly been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), some have been approved for use in other conditions. These therapies may benefit some individuals with alopecia, but there are no one-size-fits-all solutions. Your hair can be regrown, but it is not guaranteed to fall out again after treatment ends.

This isn’t a comprehensive list of all treatments. It just provides an overview of some of the most common. A dermatologist can help you find the best medications and therapies for your specific type of alopecia areata.

Alopecia Areata Hair Patch

A modern hair loss solution is the hair patch. It covers a portion of your hair to give you fuller hair. A hair patch can be made from synthetic or natural human hair.

The hair patch is a more effective treatment than medications for alopecia. It is entirely non-invasive and has no side effects. It can also show the full results as soon as it’s used, without waiting. It can also be customized to meet the user’s needs. You can customize every hair detail, including the length, color, and style. The wearer can look the way they want.

How do you measure the size of a Bald Spot?

It is essential to measure the area of hair loss to determine the site for the custom hair patch accurately. After that, you will need to make a template. It is easy to measure the area and create the template, provided it is regular in shape. You will only need to know the area’s length and width. You can easily measure both with a measuring tape.

These videos will provide detailed instructions on making a template that can be used for both regular and irregular hair loss.

Essential Tools

Plastic wrap, Marker. Tape, tape, scissors, and Measuring tape.

Steps

• First, take off a portion of the plastic wrap. Cover the entire head entirely and securely.
• Next, draw straight lines with a marker along the area of hair loss.
• Attach a few pieces to the tape until the area of hair loss is completely covered. To make the template more sturdy, you can add several layers.
• Finally, take off the wrap and trim the tapered template following the outline you have drawn earlier.

You now have the template. LaviniaWigs, a world-renowned hair product manufacturer, is dedicated to creating high-quality hair patches for patients with alopecia. Our hair patches are 100% made from high-quality, natural human hair. All hair is carefully sourced. We can customize all hair patches to meet the individual needs of our customers. Contact us at lavinia@laviniawigs.com to customize yours now!