Alopecia areata is a common, autoimmune disease that can affect any hair- bearing area. Alopecia areata is a lymphocyte cell-mediated inflammatory type of hair loss, but its pathogenesis is not fully understood. The disease can present as a single patch of hair loss, multiple patches, or extensive hair loss in a form of total loss of scalp hair (alopecia totalis) or loss of entire scalp and body hair (alopecia universalis). A number of treatments can induce hair regrowth in alopecia areata but do not change the course of the disease. Treatment is more effective in patchy alopecia areata than in alopecia totalis/alopecia universalis. Therapy for alopecia areata should be tailored in light of severity of the condition and the patient’s age.
Many therapeutic modalities have been used to treat alopecia areata, with variable efficacy and safety profiles. The treatment plan is designed according to the patient’s age and extent of disease. Several studies have shown the efficacy of intralesional corticosteroid injections. For limited scalp alopecia areata, intralesional corticosteroid therapy is considered as the drug of choice by many experts. The most widely used agent is triamcinolone acetonide. The injections can be repeated at 4–6 weekly intervals. The use of mesotherapy multi-injectors with 5–7 needles is an alternative approach to decrease injection pain and to make the procedure more homogenous. Side effects include skin atrophy and telangiectasia which can be minimized by the use of smaller volumes and avoiding superficial injections.
Many forms of topical corticosteroids have been prescribed for alopecia areata, including creams, gels, ointments, lotions, and foams. Topical corticosteroids are far less effective in alopecia totalis and alopecia universalis. A highly potent topical corticosteroid under occlusion is the preferred method when using topical corticosteroids. Folliculitis is a common side effect to topical corticosteroids.
PUVA is a method of administering a dilute psoralen solution selectively to the scalp for 20 minutes using a cotton towel as a turban. The patient’s scalp is then exposed to ultraviolet A radiation. Treatment sessions are performed two or three times per week. PUVA-turban therapy lacks the systemic side effects of oral PUVA and can be considered as alternative therapy for patients with alopecia areata.
One important step that should not be overlooked during the course of management of alopecia areata is offering psychological support to foster increased self-esteem and adaptation to this disease. Helping patients with alopecia areata cope with depression and an unpredictable disease like alopecia can be achieved by several ways, including education of the patient about the nature of disease, psychotherapy, hypnotherapy, antidepressants and support groups. Hypnotherapy may significantly improve depression, anxiety, and quality of life, but not hair regrowth .
If these therapies fail or are not tolerated, third-line therapeutic options can be discussed with patients in terms of the expected outcome of therapy and possible side effects. These agents include methotrexate with or without a systemic corticosteroid, azathioprine, cyclosporine, and pulse therapy of corticosteroids. While using these drugs, close monitoring of patients is important to avoid possible side effects.
Marbo Shampoo 03 is a product for totally natural, mild and hygienic hair wash, which is still used by many of our customers. It is also recommended as preventive measure in treating colored and natural hair. Dermatologists have proven the efficacy of Marbo hair loss shampoo . It is effective against hair loss because it contains ingredients from different medicinal herbs.
Showing posts with label Scarring alopecia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Scarring alopecia. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Cicatricial Alopecia
Cicatricial Alopecia
Alopecia Areata is an autoimmune disease. The course of alopecia areata is highly unpredictable, and the uncertainty of what will happen next is probably the most difficult and frustrating aspect of the disease. You may continue to lose hair, or your hair loss may stop. One of the Alopecia Areata types is Cicatricial alopecia.
Cicatricial Alopecia is the generic term applied to alopecia, followed by destruction of hair follicles: by disease affecting the follicles or by some process external to them. The follicles may be absent as the result of a developmental defect or may be irretrievably injured by trauma. The hair loss is usually gradual, without symptoms, and can be unnoticed for long periods. Some people experience hair loss with progressive symptoms such as itching, burning and pain. The inflammation that destroys the follicle is located below the surface of the skin and there is usually no "scar" seen on the scalp. Affected areas of the scalp may show little signs of inflammation.
It refers to a group of rare skin diseases in which hair follicle get destroyed and replaced by scar tissue. It is one of the rare causes of hair loss. Hair loss could be gradual or sudden. Hair loss could be without any symptoms or it could present with sever itching, burning and pain. There is usually no visible scar, because the inflammation is below the level of skin. Cicatricial Alopecia could occur in otherwise healthy men and women of all ages.
There are two known types of cicatricial alopecias classified as primary Cicatricial alopecias or secondary Cicatricial alopecias. For primary cicatricial alopecias in the hair follicle is the target of the destructive inflammatory process. In secondary cicatricial alopecias, destruction of the hair follicle is an "accidental" non-follicle-directed process or external injury, such as severe infections, burns, radiation, or tumors.
Primary cicatricial alopecias are further classified by the type of inflammatory cells that destroy the hair follicle during the active stage of the disease. The inflammation may predominantly involve lymphocytes or neutrophils. Cicatricial alopecias that predominantly involve lymphocytic inflammation include lichen planopilaris, frontal fibrosing alopecia, chronic cutaneous lupus erythematosus, central centrifugal alopecia, pseudopelade (Brocq), alopecia mucinosa, and keratosis follicularis spinulosa decalvans.
There are a large number of hair loss products out there that claim to help men deal with hair loss. For scarring alopecias with inflammation of mostly neutrophils or a mixture of cells, the typical treatment involves antibiotics and isotretinoin. Drugs like methotrexate, tacrolimus, cyclosporin, and even thalidomide have been used to treat some forms. You should make sure you do some research before you decide which one to use.
Herbal shampoos for natural hair care have several advantages over commercial ones: they are easy to procure, inexpensive, and safe since they are natural and have no side effects. Marbo Hair is one of the products that is 100 % natural. This product can be effectively used for loss of all body and facial hair. Using regularly Marbo Lotion and Marbo Shampoo stimulates new hair growth on thinning scalp and bald regions, while your hair becomes firmer and healthier.
Alopecia Areata is an autoimmune disease. The course of alopecia areata is highly unpredictable, and the uncertainty of what will happen next is probably the most difficult and frustrating aspect of the disease. You may continue to lose hair, or your hair loss may stop. One of the Alopecia Areata types is Cicatricial alopecia.
Cicatricial Alopecia is the generic term applied to alopecia, followed by destruction of hair follicles: by disease affecting the follicles or by some process external to them. The follicles may be absent as the result of a developmental defect or may be irretrievably injured by trauma. The hair loss is usually gradual, without symptoms, and can be unnoticed for long periods. Some people experience hair loss with progressive symptoms such as itching, burning and pain. The inflammation that destroys the follicle is located below the surface of the skin and there is usually no "scar" seen on the scalp. Affected areas of the scalp may show little signs of inflammation.
It refers to a group of rare skin diseases in which hair follicle get destroyed and replaced by scar tissue. It is one of the rare causes of hair loss. Hair loss could be gradual or sudden. Hair loss could be without any symptoms or it could present with sever itching, burning and pain. There is usually no visible scar, because the inflammation is below the level of skin. Cicatricial Alopecia could occur in otherwise healthy men and women of all ages.
There are two known types of cicatricial alopecias classified as primary Cicatricial alopecias or secondary Cicatricial alopecias. For primary cicatricial alopecias in the hair follicle is the target of the destructive inflammatory process. In secondary cicatricial alopecias, destruction of the hair follicle is an "accidental" non-follicle-directed process or external injury, such as severe infections, burns, radiation, or tumors.
Primary cicatricial alopecias are further classified by the type of inflammatory cells that destroy the hair follicle during the active stage of the disease. The inflammation may predominantly involve lymphocytes or neutrophils. Cicatricial alopecias that predominantly involve lymphocytic inflammation include lichen planopilaris, frontal fibrosing alopecia, chronic cutaneous lupus erythematosus, central centrifugal alopecia, pseudopelade (Brocq), alopecia mucinosa, and keratosis follicularis spinulosa decalvans.
There are a large number of hair loss products out there that claim to help men deal with hair loss. For scarring alopecias with inflammation of mostly neutrophils or a mixture of cells, the typical treatment involves antibiotics and isotretinoin. Drugs like methotrexate, tacrolimus, cyclosporin, and even thalidomide have been used to treat some forms. You should make sure you do some research before you decide which one to use.
Herbal shampoos for natural hair care have several advantages over commercial ones: they are easy to procure, inexpensive, and safe since they are natural and have no side effects. Marbo Hair is one of the products that is 100 % natural. This product can be effectively used for loss of all body and facial hair. Using regularly Marbo Lotion and Marbo Shampoo stimulates new hair growth on thinning scalp and bald regions, while your hair becomes firmer and healthier.
Friday, August 17, 2012
PUVA Treatment
PUVA is a photo chemotherapy that involves a topical or oral application of psoralen plus followed by a measured dose of ultraviolet radiation. Psoralen plus is found in many plants and contains a chemical 8-methoxypsoralen or 8 MOP - sensitive to ultraviolet rays. It enhances the effect of the ultraviolet rays on the skin by making the skin photosensitive. Prior to its application in alopecia areata PUVA was used for treating skin disorders such as psoriasis, vitiligo, atopic dermatitis and pruritis or itching.
Choosing the proper dose for PUVA is similar to the procedure followed with UVB. The physician can choose a dose based on the patient's skin type. It often happens that a small area of the patient's skin will be exposed to UVA after ingestion of psoralen. The dose of UVA that produces redness 72 hours later - called the minimum phototoxic dose (MPD), becomes the starting dose for treatment. PUVA therapy has shown the following effects:
- It reduces the fraction of circulating helper T-cells in psoriatic patients. - It depresses the number of circulating E rosette forming cells in psoriatic patients and controls. - It may prevent attack on the hair follicles by the immune system by depleting the number of Langerhan's cells. - It induces suppressor T cells in mice. - It has been to known to stimulate the dopa negative melanocytes in the outer root sheath to divide and multiply.
By its photo immunologic effect on T cells, PUVA may be a good alopecia therapy. Increasing evidence indicates an important role of melanocytes in alopecia areata. A typical PUVA session consists of an oral or topical administration of psoralen plus and two hours later, irradiation to UVA rays. UVA is a broad spectrum, high intensity artificially sourced radiation. Significant finding of the studies was the high relapse rate of 30% to 40% cases when PUVA treatment was discontinued. The reason for high relapse rates is not known, the current belief being that the new hair growth prevents the UVA rays penetrating the skin. Technical improvements such as comb emitting UVA failed to show any significantly better response.
Several studies showed that there was no significant difference in response between patients having different types of alopecia areata. Due to UVA irradiation, side effect posing the greatest risk to PUVA patients is the threat of various types of skin cancer, especially, potentially fatal melanoma. That's the reason why post treatment monitoring of PUVA patients is very important. Nausea is the most prominent side effect reported, but there are others as well: skin darkening, sunburns called photoxic erythema, skin ageing, headache and dizziness, itching and redness of the skin.
PUVA is unsuitable for long-term therapy, because of the risk of cancer. Several studies have cast a doubt on their long-term efficacy. However, PUVA may have a role in alopecia areata management.
Marbo Shampoo against hair loss contains herbal ingredients from different medicinal herbs. Active ingredients full of vitamins and mineral salts stimulate local circulation and hair root renewal. Sage and rosemary extracts regulate sebum secretion, prevent scalp greasing and soothe scalp itching and irritation.
Choosing the proper dose for PUVA is similar to the procedure followed with UVB. The physician can choose a dose based on the patient's skin type. It often happens that a small area of the patient's skin will be exposed to UVA after ingestion of psoralen. The dose of UVA that produces redness 72 hours later - called the minimum phototoxic dose (MPD), becomes the starting dose for treatment. PUVA therapy has shown the following effects:
- It reduces the fraction of circulating helper T-cells in psoriatic patients. - It depresses the number of circulating E rosette forming cells in psoriatic patients and controls. - It may prevent attack on the hair follicles by the immune system by depleting the number of Langerhan's cells. - It induces suppressor T cells in mice. - It has been to known to stimulate the dopa negative melanocytes in the outer root sheath to divide and multiply.
By its photo immunologic effect on T cells, PUVA may be a good alopecia therapy. Increasing evidence indicates an important role of melanocytes in alopecia areata. A typical PUVA session consists of an oral or topical administration of psoralen plus and two hours later, irradiation to UVA rays. UVA is a broad spectrum, high intensity artificially sourced radiation. Significant finding of the studies was the high relapse rate of 30% to 40% cases when PUVA treatment was discontinued. The reason for high relapse rates is not known, the current belief being that the new hair growth prevents the UVA rays penetrating the skin. Technical improvements such as comb emitting UVA failed to show any significantly better response.
Several studies showed that there was no significant difference in response between patients having different types of alopecia areata. Due to UVA irradiation, side effect posing the greatest risk to PUVA patients is the threat of various types of skin cancer, especially, potentially fatal melanoma. That's the reason why post treatment monitoring of PUVA patients is very important. Nausea is the most prominent side effect reported, but there are others as well: skin darkening, sunburns called photoxic erythema, skin ageing, headache and dizziness, itching and redness of the skin.
PUVA is unsuitable for long-term therapy, because of the risk of cancer. Several studies have cast a doubt on their long-term efficacy. However, PUVA may have a role in alopecia areata management.
Marbo Shampoo against hair loss contains herbal ingredients from different medicinal herbs. Active ingredients full of vitamins and mineral salts stimulate local circulation and hair root renewal. Sage and rosemary extracts regulate sebum secretion, prevent scalp greasing and soothe scalp itching and irritation.
What are Scaring and Non-scarring Alopecia?
What are Scaring and Non-scarring Alopecia?
Alopecia is a general medical term used for all types of hair loss, localized or diffuse, from the scalp or any part of the body. They are generally divided into two groups: scarring (cicatricial) and non-scarring. Scarring alopecia is typically caused by inflammation that results in destruction of the hair follicle leading to irreversible hair loss. If the condition is treated early in the disease course, it is sometimes possible to regrow hair. Hair follicle destruction can be caused by fungal infection, chemicals such as hair relaxers, mechanical traction, and inflammatory disorders which include discoid lupus erythematosus, lichen planopilaris, dissecting cellulitis, tufted folliculitis, folliculitis decalvans, alopecia mucinosa, central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia, and acne keloidalis.
Non-scarring alopecia is more common than scarring alopecia and include male and female pattern hair loss (androgenetic alopecia), alopecia areata, telogen effluvium, and trichotillomania as well as other less common conditions. Sometimes diseases such as secondary syphilis, thyroid disease, and systemic lupus erythematosus can lead to non-scarring hair loss also. Non-scarring hair thinning can also occur with natural aging, which is known as senescent alopecia.
Androgenetic alopecia is the most common type of hair loss. It is inherited in a complex manner from parents. Androgens are hormones including testosterone that are present in both males and females. They also play an important role in the development of pattern hair loss. Even though increased androgen activity leads to hair loss, the majority of males and females with pattern hair loss do not have abnormal levels of testosterone. For males, the pattern typically involves loss of the frontal hairline with or without hair loss at the top of the scalp and may or may not progress over time.
For females, the pattern is more variable, but most often spares the frontal hairline and involves diffuse thinning of hair over the crown of the scalp, sparing the back. This again may or may not progress over time. It is important to note that this pattern of hair loss can be caused by an abnormal increase of androgens due to polycystic ovarian disease or less commonly due to a malignancy. These causes are usually associated with other symptoms such as abnormal periods. Testosterone and other hormone levels can be checked to aid in the diagnosis of these conditions. Treatment for androgenetic alopecia includes topical minoxidil solution or foam, finasteride pills by mouth, or hair transplant surgery.
Although hair can often grow back on its own in alopecia areata, there are treatments that may be helpful - topical steroids, corticosteroid injections into the skin are typically used first. Many other topical treatments can be used. You should make sure you do some research before you decide which one to use. There is a lot of product for natural hair care on the market today. Marbo Hair products consist of natural ingrediants. These products can be effectively used for loss of all body and facial hair. Using regularly Marbo Lotion and Marbo Shampoo stimulates new hair growth on thinning scalp and bald regions, while your hair becomes firmer and healthier.
Alopecia is a general medical term used for all types of hair loss, localized or diffuse, from the scalp or any part of the body. They are generally divided into two groups: scarring (cicatricial) and non-scarring. Scarring alopecia is typically caused by inflammation that results in destruction of the hair follicle leading to irreversible hair loss. If the condition is treated early in the disease course, it is sometimes possible to regrow hair. Hair follicle destruction can be caused by fungal infection, chemicals such as hair relaxers, mechanical traction, and inflammatory disorders which include discoid lupus erythematosus, lichen planopilaris, dissecting cellulitis, tufted folliculitis, folliculitis decalvans, alopecia mucinosa, central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia, and acne keloidalis.
Non-scarring alopecia is more common than scarring alopecia and include male and female pattern hair loss (androgenetic alopecia), alopecia areata, telogen effluvium, and trichotillomania as well as other less common conditions. Sometimes diseases such as secondary syphilis, thyroid disease, and systemic lupus erythematosus can lead to non-scarring hair loss also. Non-scarring hair thinning can also occur with natural aging, which is known as senescent alopecia.
Androgenetic alopecia is the most common type of hair loss. It is inherited in a complex manner from parents. Androgens are hormones including testosterone that are present in both males and females. They also play an important role in the development of pattern hair loss. Even though increased androgen activity leads to hair loss, the majority of males and females with pattern hair loss do not have abnormal levels of testosterone. For males, the pattern typically involves loss of the frontal hairline with or without hair loss at the top of the scalp and may or may not progress over time.
For females, the pattern is more variable, but most often spares the frontal hairline and involves diffuse thinning of hair over the crown of the scalp, sparing the back. This again may or may not progress over time. It is important to note that this pattern of hair loss can be caused by an abnormal increase of androgens due to polycystic ovarian disease or less commonly due to a malignancy. These causes are usually associated with other symptoms such as abnormal periods. Testosterone and other hormone levels can be checked to aid in the diagnosis of these conditions. Treatment for androgenetic alopecia includes topical minoxidil solution or foam, finasteride pills by mouth, or hair transplant surgery.
Although hair can often grow back on its own in alopecia areata, there are treatments that may be helpful - topical steroids, corticosteroid injections into the skin are typically used first. Many other topical treatments can be used. You should make sure you do some research before you decide which one to use. There is a lot of product for natural hair care on the market today. Marbo Hair products consist of natural ingrediants. These products can be effectively used for loss of all body and facial hair. Using regularly Marbo Lotion and Marbo Shampoo stimulates new hair growth on thinning scalp and bald regions, while your hair becomes firmer and healthier.
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Cicatricial – Scaring Alopecia Areata
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