Hair loss in men and women could be subdivided into 2 main categories patterned and unpatterned alopecia. Patterned alopecia includes female and male patterned and believed to be related to DHT damage to hair follicles over time. Unpatterned alopecia presents vast variety of hair loss conditions with different etiologies.
SOME EXAMPLES OF UNPATTERNED ALOPECIA:
- Alopecia Areata: When hair loss occurs in only one section and appears as bald patches. Ophiasis is a type of Alopecia Areata in which the loss of hair happens in a wave-like shape surrounding the head.
- Alopecia Universalis: When complete hair loss on the body manifests including the eyebrow and eyelashes. This condition is different from the total hair loss that follows chemotherapy. In the case of alopecia universalis, the return of hair growth is unpredictable, while patients who lose their hair after undergoing chemotherapy are most likely to regrow their hair an do not require a hair transplant .
- Traction Alopecia: Hair loss due to hairstyles that put pressure on the follicles by pulling the hair back very tightly. It can also be a consequence of cosmetic surgery that generates hair tension, like facelifts.
- Alopecia Totalis: This is an auto-immune disorder resulting in total hair loss, but on the scalp only. It is a condition intermediary between alopecia areata and alopecia universalis. Alopecia totalis normally shows up in two types, first being a fairly quick and complete hair loss in the head. Second being a slower type which starts as patchy loss (alopecia areata) and develops to total hair loss in the scalp.
- Chignon Alopecia: This is a type of traction alopecia wherein hair loss takes place at the crown of the head. It usually happens when the hair is shaped or styled in a tight bundle for a very long time period. This is typically common in ballet dancers.
- Diffuse Unpatterned Alopecia (DUPA) can be described as a subtype of genetic hair loss. It can affect both men and women. About 2-6% of men have this type of hair loss. As opposed to male hair loss characterized by the Norwood Scale, in diffuse patterned loss, patients thin across the entire frontal scalp from front to crown. All of these hairs undergo miniaturization, with the exception for the hair on the back and sides. In cases of patients with DUPA, it’s important to realize that the hair on the back and sides of the scalp are not proper quality to be used as donor hairs for a hair transplant. Instead, these patients will usually have to use medical treatments such as minoxidil/finasteride, low-level laser therapy, or growth factors.
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