Last week, the sister noticed a small patch of hair missing on the scalp above her left ear. Hair falls in patches — generally, from the scalp — and in more severe cases, eyelashes, and eyebrows. Which essentially means that the body’s immune system starts acting against its own hair follicles, resulting in hair loss. “There is no complete cure for alopecia areata, but there are medications available to curtail the disease activity,” she says. “Topicals such as corticosteroids, when applied on the affected patchy areas, decrease inflammation, and encourage hair growth.” The other option, said the doctor, is immunotherapy and phototherapy.

Source: The Hindu April 01, 2019 11:37 UTC