This week in our hair graft blog we are going to treat one of the most common types of alopecia. It is not as common as androgenic or androgenetic alopecia, but it is one of the most common, both in men and women. We speak in this case of diffuse alopecia.
If you still do not know if you are suffering from it, or if you suffer from it and you do not know if you have any type of treatment, in this article we will try to help you to solve all your doubts.
What is diffuse alopecia?
It is a type of alopecia or hair loss that occurs quickly, for causes that we will now see, and that can be reversible. The characteristic that most identifies diffuse alopecia is the speed with which the hair becomes weak and ends up falling out. In cases such as androgenic alopecia, hair gradually falls out over time, but in diffuse cases, 100 hairs can fall out in a single day. Another of its characteristics is that despite hair loss, our scalp will not suffer any type of redness, swelling or flaking that can occur in other types of alopecia.
In the process, we may notice that the hair is becoming thinner and weaker. It can also be identified because we suddenly have drier and straighter hair than usual. Diffuse alopecia mostly occurs in people between the ages of 30 and 50. And we find diffuse alopecia in men and diffuse alopecia in women. In addition, hair loss is not seasonal, as is the case with other types of alopecia, and can last for more than 6 months.
What can cause this type of alopecia?
Diffuse alopecia has its origin or is related to some type of disease, disorder or deficiency that by its nature can cause hair loss, as one of its effects. We leave you a list with some of the cases in which this type of alopecia occurs:
Hormonal disorders or alterations. It is a typical case in diffuse alopecia in women. It can occur in periods such as pregnancy, childbirth or menopause, times when hormonal changes occur. It can also occur in contraceptive treatments.
Diffuse stress alopecia. In certain situations of great stress or anxiety and in painful personal situations, such as a death, a divorce, etc. hair loss may occur.
Aggressive medical treatments. A clear example is chemotherapy. It can also occur after surgery or trauma, although it is less common.
Other types of diseases. Some thyroid and other intestinal, kidney or liver diseases can produce this diffuse alopecia.
Eating disorders. An unhealthy diet lacking in essential nutrients can cause serious effects on our body, such as anemia or hair loss.
Treatments with certain drugs. Some beta-blocker medications and others such as enapril, interferon or cyclosporine, have hair loss as a possible side effect.
Of course, we want to clarify that not in all cases in which hormonal changes occur, a poor diet or the aforementioned drugs are taken, diffuse alopecia occurs. But whenever you have this type of alopecia, the origin is external. It is not something caused by genetics, as it happens with androgenetic alopecia.
What is the best treatment for diffuse alopecia?
The best news about diffuse alopecia is that it is reversible, it can be treated. As we have seen, the causes can be many, but they are due to diseases, medical treatments or times of stress or hormonal changes. Therefore, if these diseases disappear, the alopecia can be reversed, since the hair follicles are not damaged at their origin, as in androgenetic alopecia, in which the follicles are also weakened until they are lost.
It is also true that this recovery process can be very long and, in some cases, not occur. Therefore, we can opt for alternative treatments to these diseases, treatments that directly affect the hair follicles and hair. We can choose between different options, such as having a PRP treatment (platelet rich plasma) or a hair graft.
First of all, PRP can be a good option for moderate hair loss. It is a treatment that can slow down hair loss and, above all, will help regenerate hair follicles. To explain it briefly, what is done with PRP treatments is to isolate and work on the growth factors that are present in the blood. The objective, to promote the regeneration of tissues.
Meanwhile, the hair graft or transplant consists of extracting the hair follicles from the healthy areas that do not suffer from alopecia, to insert them in those areas where they do suffer. With this, you will get strong hair to grow back without falling out.
If you do not want to undergo any of these treatments, but you want to hide the bald spots that are going to occur on your head, you can opt for more short-term solutions, even if they have a shorter “useful life”, such as capillary micropigmentation. This treatment, which you can learn more about on our blog with its advantages and disadvantages, consists of pigmenting the skin of the scalp and other areas such as the eyebrows, where it is more common. It is a kind of tattoo, but made in a different way and with the aim of simulating that there is hair where there is none.
Our recommendation is to opt for long-term and safer solutions, such as hair grafting, because in this case you know for sure that your hair will grow back in the areas where you have performed the graft.
If you have this problem, do not hesitate to contact us. We are experts in hair grafts and in all kinds of problems associated with alopecia. We have suffered it and that is why we know all kinds of treatments, those that are optimal and those that will not give you the expected result. Our experience supports us.
