Alopecia areata is one of the more common reasons for hair loss today, even though it is still not yet fully understood by medical science. There are three types of alopecia. The first, alopecia areata, is a condition where your hair falls out in patches from all over your body. The next, alopecia totalis, causes the scalp to shed all hair in a very short time span. Finally, alopecia universalis, causes hair loss from the head, face, and body simultaneously.

Alopecia is diagnosed using a series of blood tests that check the hormone levels in the blood. Once a diagnosis is made the correct form of treatment can then be determined. One aspect that has been observed is that medical treatment is effective only with mild alopecia.

Treatment for Alopecia Areata

If your hair loss is caused by alopecia areata it can be treated successfully if the condition is diagnosed in the early stages. The treatment for hair loss caused by alopecia involves the use of one, or a combination, of the following steps. First, minoxidil is applied, typically once a day, along with topical applications of the Chinese herb, he shou wu, and maybe 100 percent aloe vera gel as well. Your doctor may also suggest cortisone injections into the scalp. Occasionally creams and lotions can be used instead, but these will always have a less impact on the ailment when compared to the injection.

These treatment(s) for hair loss caused by alopecia can sometimes be very effective, or they could be extremely disappointing. The effectiveness is usually dependent on how advanced the disease is at the time of diagnosis, the underlying causes and complications, and the overall health status of the person involved. For example, if the patient is a female who is going through a pre- or post-menopausal phase, then the treatment should also include the regulation of the hormone level in the blood of the patient. If the person is diabetic, then the hair loss will be better controlled when the diabetes has first been brought under control.

Alternatives Available

For those unfortunates who suffer from severe hair loss caused by alopecia, surgical replacement of hair could be a more effective remedy to replace the hair that has been lost. However, this process is both painstaking and very expensive. It should be taken only as a last option. There are also several herbal remedies that have been proven to be highly beneficial. However, since the FDA does not endorse the herbal products, it is easy to misrepresent the facts in their promotion, and you should therefore be wary of fraudulent products.