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On June 30, 2010, Nature Journal, the weekly, international, interdisciplinary journal of science, published an article that unveils the most exciting genetic research on alopecia areata to date. Led by the National Alopecia Areata Foundation Scientific Advisory Council member Dr. Angela Christiano, and using cases from the National Alopecia Areata Registry, a team of investigators from Columbia University Medical Center have found eight genes that contribute to alopecia areata, one of which has a possible role in the onset of the disease.
Alopecia areata is the rapid onset of hair loss in defined areas of the head or body. The condition does not always coincide with disease, which puts cause into question. Some scientists hypothesize that genetics play an important role in the onset of the condition as well as autoimmune deficiencies.
Cytokine is a chemical in the immune system that inhibits hair follicle growth. People diagnosed with higher levels of cytokine are at a higher risk for developing this particular hair loss condition.
There are two stages where hair loss occurs naturally in the body: catagen and telogen stages. In the catogen stage hair follicles stop growing and in the telogen stage the hair falls out. Normal hair growth and loss has new hair growing in during the catagen and the telogen stages. People with alopecia areata do not experience new hair growth.
People with this condition may have a patch of hair loss on the scalp that looks round or oval. Broken hairs around the edge of the bald spot fall out easily when pulled on with a comb or brush. This condition can occur anywhere on the body.
When the body loses 100 percent of its hair, the medical term is alopecia universalis. Alopecia totalis is when the condition remains localized to the scalp. It is rare that a person loses 100 percent of their hair as a result of alopecia areata.
When this condition goes untreated, hair will reappear within a year in most cases. Treatment for this hair loss condition includes the use of steroids through injection or topical creams. When using steroids, the most common side effect is a thinning of the skin. Diprolene and Temovate are topical creams and Celestone is an injectable steroid. The use of Minoxidil and anthralin for treating alopecia areata focuses on creating a skin irritation to stimulate hair growth. Consult with your physician to find out what route works best for you
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