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Apart from Sinead O'Connor, Demi Moore and Britney Spears, there are few women who would voluntarily have their heads bald. Most women hit with pattern baldness are shocked and confused searching for a cure. The type of hair loss that causes balding is called alopecia areata. It is quite rare and usually the only way to cure balding in women with alopecia areata is with time.
Alopecia areata is the third most common reason for hair loss in women today and happens because the woman's immune system is unable to function properly. The symptoms include sudden patches of hair lost, diffuse hair loss or complete balding of the head. This type of alopecia is very different from the others as it is actually caused by the body attacking its own hair follicles rather than hormonal, genetic, or environmental reasons.
The good news is that it is possible to stop baldness because no matter how widespread the effect of alopecia areata, the hair follicles remain alive. About 50% of affected people's bodies will cure balding through natural mechanisms with no treatment within a year. In about 90% of cases, the body will cure balding eventually after some years. In only 10% of cases of alopecia areata, there is no way to cure balding.
It is possible to receive cortisone or steroid injections in order to stimulate the regeneration of hair, however this will not cure balding and new bald patches can come back at any time. Steroid injections are usually used only where there are small areas of loss on the head or in order to regrow eyebrow hair specifically. Minoxidil, topical coal tar and cyclosporine are also options that may help depending on the woman's body chemistry.
There are some other options, not to cure balding, but to suppress it temporarily with topical creams. There are many types of these and they tend to have quite severe adverse effects. Since the best way to cure balding from alopecia areata is time, it is better to leave the body alone to fight the disease on its own. The immune system needs time to recover and aggravating it any further for cosmetic purposes may actually extend the running time of the illness.
Especially in cases of alopecia totalis or universalis where either all scalp hair or all body hair is lost, the best option is to adapt to the illness. Wigs are common among sufferers of alopecia areata. There are many modern wigs that can be made to stay on the head effectively and look just like real hair.
Most importantly, understand that to cure balding takes time and patience. It is a harsh shock for any woman to lose one of her most noticeable marks of beauty. However, through the process of the illness, hopefully every woman affected can find that true beauty lies on the inside. Hair is only hair, but a positive attitude and the genuine strength that it takes to face such a challenge are true marks of splendor.
Hair loss in women can be a difficult thing to deal with. If you're experiencing hair loss or have questions, the best thing to do is to keep yourself informed and learn as much as possible at RestorationOfHair.com, where you'll find lots of free resources on dealing with women's hair loss.
Disclaimer: All information on this site is provided for informational purposes only! By no means is any
information presented herein intended to substitute for the advice provided to you by any health care or other professional
or organization.
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