It happens, at times, to lose a few hairs. But in some cases it is not an occasional event, but rather a real one pathological condition which must be addressed with the specialist. According to estimates, more than one in ten women has to deal with this phenomenon, which can have different mechanisms behind it. And it must be investigated and studied
When is androgenetic alopecia and how to deal with it
Androgenetic alopecia, as the word itself says, obviously affects mainly males. A total of 39% of the male population suffers from it. But in middle age, around at the age of 50affects at least half of men and 30% of women. In women, in particular, hair loss involves much more serious psychological repercussions, linked to the perception of considerable damage to one’s image.
The phenomenon, in women, affects at different stages of life and can have a possible onset already in puberty and after pregnancy. But it is above all with the onset of menopause that it manifests itself more frequently. The appearance of alopecia is mainly due to hypersensitivity and hormonal balance, in particular to the variation in the level of estrogens (typically female hormones present in childbearing age, which also contribute to hair health) and androgens. This is why female baldness occurs above all during menopausea period in which the level of estrogen is lowered, but it can also occur in other phases of hormonal changes, such as adolescence, pregnancy and after childbirth.
“Alopecia can be frightening, especially a woman – explains Gabriella Fabbrocini, director of the UOC of Clinical Dermatology of the University of Naples Federico II – and can have even important psychological repercussions. But she doesn’t necessarily have to suggest disastrous hair loss. In women, it can be treated and contrasted with contraceptive therapy. There are also several innovative techniques that can stimulate the hair in accompaniment to systemic therapies, such as Platelet Rich Blood (SRP), obtained thanks to the centrifugation of a limited amount of blood taken directly from the patient, and inoculated directly on the scalp, supporting regeneration. of the pilo-sebaceous follicle and hair regrowth “.
The other faces of alopecia
Other form of alopeciaalso invalidating, is that areatawhich implies “patchy” hair loss, with single or multiple patches. It is very common in children but can also affect adults and is an autoimmune process.
“For alopecia areata – continues the expert – there are many therapies, however not entirely effective. Many hopes are nurtured towards a new category of drugs, JAK inhibitors, which represent a therapy finally aimed at interrupting the abnormal immune response that causes hair loss in alopecia areata. In fact, they block the action of some small molecules that have been identified as the cause of the autoimmune response in alopecia areata. At the moment in Italy no JAK-inhibitor has yet been approved by the regulatory authorities ”Finally, for women, hair loss can also occur due to other factors, not dependent on a genetic predisposition or hormonal causes.
It is an example of this so-called traumatic or traction alopecia, where hair loss can be caused by the habit of combing or treating the hair in an excessively traumatic way, for example with very tight braids or the excessive use of plates or treatments with high temperatures that damage the hair shaft. Finally, another form is alopecia due to chemotherapythat is, hair loss due to antineoplastic therapies, which can seriously contribute to the psychological distress of patients.
“Alopecia due to chemotherapy treatments – concludes Fabbrocini – can represent a further difficulty for patients. Fortunately, it is only transient in most cases, and there are several therapies to speed up hair regrowth. There is also the possibility of resorting to permanent epitheses, that is, real hair wigs, which greatly reduce the psychological discomfort of patients “.