Alopecia – Causes and Treatment

Alopecia – Causes and Treatment

If you’ve been paying attention to the media lately, you would know that actress, Jada Pinkett-Smith has been vocal about her struggle with Alopecia.  The truth is many others are also dealing with this condition, which causes hair loss.

The fact is that Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease, which means that your immune system mistakenly attacks a part of your body.  When you have alopecia, cells surround and attack your hair follicles, which cause your hair to fall out.

But while this attack causes hair loss, it rarely destroys the hair follicles. This means that your hair can re-grow. The less hair loss you have, the more likely it is that your hair will re-grow on its own.  While anyone can get alopecia, some people may be at greater risk due to certain factors:

A close blood relative with alopecia: It’s estimated that about 10 to 20 percent of people with alopecia have a family member who has it.

Medical conditions such as asthma, hay fever, dermatitis, thyroid disease or Down syndrome:  People who have one of these diseases are more likely to get alopecia.

If you are being treated for cancer with a drug called nivolumab: A few cancer patients who used this drug reportedly developed alopecia.  It is used to treat lung cancer and melanoma. Hair loss usually begins a few months after the start of treatment and this usually means the drug is working.

Alopecia can develop at any age, however, most people get it by the age of 30 years and over.

While there is no cure, it’s possible to re-grow hair.  To do this, you can use Cher-Mere’s Hair Organics Thinning Hair Deep Conditioner, Moisturizer and Nourishing Oil, which are enriched with organic jojoba, olive oil and Shea butter, to help stimulate hair growth.  

Since there is no cure for alopecia, some people who have re-growth can have more hair loss later on. They may experience cycles of hair loss and re-growth throughout their lives.  If your hair doesn’t re-grow on its own, check your doctor, as medical treatments may also help.

Visit any Cher-Mere day spa located at Trincity Mall, Mid Centre Mall, Chaguanas, 25 Robertson Street, San Fernando and 25 Cipriani Boulevard, Port of Spain, to purchase our Thinning Hair products or book an appointment for a Hair Consultation/Therapy Session, to find out what’s going on with your hair.

Call 285-9053 or visit www.chermerecaribbean.com.

Information Source: American Academy of Dermatology Association

 

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