Scarring Alopecia Facts

Scarring alopecia is sometimes referred to as ciatricial alopecia. It is a condition that accounts for about 3% of hair loss in people who experience hair loss. It is a disorder that affects both men and women and can be found worldwide in otherwise healthy people. There are many forms of scarring alopecia but they are commonly considered to be permanent and irreversible since the hair follicles are usually replaced with scar tissue.

Alopecia scarring usually begins with a small patch of hair loss that gets larger over time. In some cases the hair loss is gradual and will go unnoticed for a long time. In other cases the symptoms tend to be severe with itching and burning of the scalp and a rapid progression of sudden hair loss.

Alopecia scars look ragged but the damage all occurs beneath the skin so often you will not see alopecia scars on the surface of the scalp. In many cases you will only see the scalp that appears smooth and clean. Other cases may produce an area that is red and scaly with raised blisters and fluids at the surface of the scalp.

Scarring alopecia is difficult to diagnose when looking at the pattern of hair loss. In most cases a biopsy must be done to get a definitive diagnosis. This usually involves a small sample of the scalp to be removed so that it can be examined under a microscope. This will allow the doctor to look for the destruction of hair follicles and scar tissue that is associated with the condition.

Many times in the early stages of scarring alopecia you will find inflamed cells around the hair follicle but this is not always the case. In time, scarring alopecia will probably burn itself out and the hair loss will cease. When this happens, all symptoms of the condition will go away except the areas of the scalp that are bald. These bald areas usually do not have hair follicles any longer and will not regrow hair. In some cases the hair follicle may not be completely destroyed and will allow hair regrowth to take place.

If you are diagnosed with scarring alopecia it is critical that you start aggressive treatment immediately. In many cases the treatment can be successful if the condition is caught before it does a lot of damage. There are a number of ways to treat the condition such as with injections or corticosteroids in a topical cream that can be applied directly to the affected area. The key to treatment is to begin immediately and do not stop treatment just because you see improvement. Hair loss treatment must take several months or even up to two years.