Hair Loss Treatment in Weirton, WV

What is Alopecia?

The term alopecia means hair loss, but when one is diagnosed with a medical condition associated with alopecia it can be grouped into three main types: alopecia areata (hair loss in patches), alopecia totalis (lose all hair on the scalp), alopecial universalis (lose all hair on the body).

Because alopecial is an autoimmune disease, your immune system essentially attacks healthy hair follicles by mistake. This can happen in a very short period of time, even just a few days.

If you're dealing with hair loss in the Pittsburgh area, contact Weirton Medical Center to discuss your condition and the treatment options available. To schedule a consultation at our dermatology office in Pittsburgh, PA, please call (412) 857-2609 today.

Symptoms of Alopecia

The symptoms of alopecia will depend on the type and location it has affected. However, some common symptoms include:

• Hair loss in patches
  •  This is most common in alopecia areata, and may begin with small, quarter sized, smooth patches. This will often come on quickly, and become recognized after seeing hair in the shower or your bed.
  • This can happen in a number of spots on your body, but most often occurs on the head and face areas.
• Splitting and thinning fingernails and toenails
• White spots on fingernails and toenails. 
• Rigid or bumpy fingernails and toenails. 
• Random white hairs, mostly in patches
• Exclamation mark hairs
  • These are hairs that grow around the bald spots, but get narrower at the bottom.

Treatment of Alopecia

There is not a specific cure for alopecia currently, but there are a number of treatment options that may help grow hair quicker. The most commonly used treatment option is corticosteroids, which can be given by your dermatologist via a shot, or applied via a topical ointment, cream, or lotion.

There are other medications like Minoxidil (for hair growth), Anthralin (for immune function of the skin), and Diphencyprone (inflammation fighter) that may help with some of the other symptoms. Often these solutions will need multiple doses in order to be effective.

If you are experiencing alopecia, it's important to take other forms of protection such as sunblock, ointment inside the nose, and headwear and sunglasses to protect your skin from the sun.