Category: Medical and Health
Problem Description:
My father is 56 years old. One day when he was washing his hair, he found that a piece of hair as big as a finger had fallen out, so he went to get a haircut. At that time, I found that a piece as big as a fist had fallen off the back of my head. What was going on?
Analysis:
Alopecia areata is a type of alopecia (hair loss), commonly known as "ghost shaving". In ancient Chinese medicine books, there have been titles such as oily wind, hair pulling, hair loss, hair falling, and ghostly hair loss.
There are three types of baldness: alopecia areata, alopecia totalis, and alopecia universalis. Their causes and treatments are roughly the same, but the degree of clinical manifestations is different.
[Clinical manifestations]
Alopecia areata often occurs suddenly without any warning. Patients often have no symptoms and are often overwhelmed by the sudden onset of symptoms.
The first area of ??hair loss can occur anywhere on the human body, but it most commonly occurs on the head. On the scalp, or eyebrows, beard, etc. It is estimated that the incidence of alopecia areata in the population is less than 0.1%; about 95% of patients with alopecia areata have lesions limited to the scalp.
Alopecia areata often manifests as the loss of independent, localized patches of hair in the hair area, which are round or oval in shape, with clear edges, and a diameter of 1 to 2 cm or larger. The skin of the bald area is smooth and shiny, without significant shrinkage, but the pores are still visible, and the hair around the damage is difficult to fall off. The roots of the fallen hair become thinner, the hair bulb shrinks, and an exclamation mark shape "!" can be formed. If the damage gradually increases and the number increases, adjacent lesions may merge into patches of varying sizes and irregular shapes. When it begins to recover, soft, yellowish-white vellus hair can be seen in the affected area, which gradually becomes thicker and blacker, and eventually returns to normal. Alopecia areata has a long course and most patients can recover, but a few patients may relapse after recovery.
If the disease continues to progress, the skin lesions may affect the entire head, and even all hair may fall out. At this time, the scalp can still maintain a normal appearance, indicating alopecia totalis. In severe cases, in addition to complete hair loss, hair in other parts of the body, including eyebrows, eyelashes, beards, armpit hair, vagina and body hair, etc., will also fall off. This situation is called alopecia universalis. About 10% of men with alopecia areata may develop alopecia universalis.
Clinically, alopecia areata can be divided into three stages according to the development of the disease. (1) Progressive stage: The scope of hair and skin damage is gradually expanding. On the normal-looking skin around the alopecia areata area, the hair is loose and easy to fall off. (2) Resting period: Generally, after 3-4 months, alopecia areata can stop developing and remain in its original state for a long time. The hair around the bald area is firmly attached. (3) Recovery period: hair begins to grow in the hair loss area.
Some patients may have symptoms such as dizziness and itching, low back pain, tinnitus, and dizziness. During the doctor's examination, it can be found that in a few early stage patients, erythema and edema can be seen in the bald area, and the hair follicle openings are clearly visible.
[Pathological Analysis]
The pathogenesis of alopecia areata is not yet fully understood. Most people are caused by excessive mental stress and physical fatigue, but some people do not have these reasons. Medically speaking, it has a certain relationship with autoimmunity. The cause of the disease is unknown, but depression, endocrine disorders, etc. can often lead to this disease.
This disease may be caused by dysfunction of the high-level nerve center, causing dysfunction of the subcortical center and autonomic nerves, causing spasm of the capillary blood vessels and hair dystrophy, leading to hair loss, such as suffering from strong mental stress. , excessive fatigue, etc., may suddenly occur or worsen the condition. For alopecia areata with allergic background, it may be an autoimmune disease. In addition to vasculitis and perivasculitis in the dermis, the hair follicle blood vessel branches also have vasculitis. The blood vessels are destroyed, resulting in a reduction of the vascular network and a loss of blood supply. Insufficient, resulting in hair loss. According to immunological research, this kind of alopecia areata can show anti-thyroglobulin, anti-adrenal cell, anti-thyroid cell and other antibodies, but no anti-hair follicle antibodies, so it is considered to be an autoimmune vasculitic alopecia. It is not yet certain that alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease, but because it can be accompanied by autoimmune diseases and is temporarily effective on corticosteroids, it at least suggests that autoimmune factors may be involved in some cases. In addition, endocrine disorders, focus infections, intestinal parasites, etc. may also be pathogenic factors.
[Traditional Chinese Medicine Theory]
The motherland’s classic medical work "Treatise on the Causes and Symptoms of Diseases" writes: "People have wind evil, which is located in the head. If it is in the side of the head, it will be weak. , The muscles are withered, maybe as big as money, or as big as fingers, hair does not grow, and there is no itching, so the ghost licks the head.
"The ancients said that ghosts licking the head refers to patches of hair loss. The hair loss may be as big as money or as big as the belly of a finger. The affected area is not painful or itchy. At the same time, the ancients also knew that ghosts licking the head is not caused by ghosts, but by ghosts. It is caused by wind evil attacking the human body with weak righteousness. Once wind evil invades the head and insufficient yang qi in the head, hair loss will occur.
Traditional Chinese medicine believes that this disease often occurs in young people with excessive blood heat. , due to the irritability of the mind, the failure of the seven emotions, the long-lasting fire, the internal heat, the excessive heat generates wind, "the wind moves the leaves and falls", and the hair falls due to this. Therefore, this disease in teenagers is mostly caused by internal heat. Its treatment. It should also clear away heat and cool blood, dispel wind and promote hair growth. Do not take supplements indiscriminately. Otherwise, the more you take the tonic, the more heat you will get, and the more heat you will have, the more the hair will fall. Mental and emotional changes are one of the important causes of this disease. This is what traditional Chinese and Western medicine is all about. Consistent. As long as you try to maintain emotional stability and get enough sleep in your daily life, you can at least prevent mental depression and fatigue.
Treatment
Treatment of alopecia areata. Internal medicines, external medicines and dietary therapy can be used
[Western medicine treatment]
Treatment should first be based on the area of ??baldness. If the area is small, only topical medicines and topical hormone drops should be used. , or fresh ginger juice, *** hair follicles grow, usually 3-6 months to grow hair; if the area is large, you can take oral hormones, prednisone 15-30mg per day, gradually reduce the dose, usually hair will appear within 2 months growth, but because this drug has certain side effects, it needs to be taken under the guidance of a doctor. In addition, multivitamins and some traditional Chinese medicines such as Heshouwu tablets can also be used as auxiliary treatments.
[TCM treatment]
Traditional Chinese medicine has long understood that baldness is caused by the fact that the liver stores blood and the hair is blood, and the kidneys govern the bones. The cause of baldness is related to kidney deficiency and blood deficiency. In recent years, there has been a theory of blood stasis, so baldness is generally treated with the following methods. The main treatments are nourishing the kidneys, nourishing the blood, and activating the blood. According to traditional Chinese medicine, patients with heart and spleen deficiency, liver and kidney deficiency, liver stagnation and blood stasis, and qi and blood deficiency can be diagnosed by doctors. Treatment is based on prescriptions such as nourishing qi, nourishing yin and cooling blood, soothing the liver and regulating qi, solidifying astringency and unblocking collaterals.
(1) Nourishing and nourishing prescriptions: such as Shenying Yangzhen Dan, which consists of Rehmannia glutinosa, Angelica sinensis, and so on. It is composed of Ligustrum lucidum, Cuscuta semen, Qianghuo and other medicines that nourish the blood, nourish the kidneys, and remove wind. For a few people who experience symptoms such as dry throat and mouth after taking the medicine, Liuwei Dihuang Pills or Dancao Xiegan Pills can be added.
( 2) Nourishing liver and kidney prescription: 12 grams each of Rehmannia glutinosa, Angelica sinensis, Morinda citrifolia, Cistanche deserticola, Astragalus root, Mulberry seed, Qiang Huo, Red Spoon, White Spoon, Salvia miltiorrhiza, 10 grams each of Chuanxiong and Schizonepeta. It is suitable for teenagers with short course of disease. , the effect is particularly good for those with small hair loss areas
(3) Recipe for strengthening the spleen and replenishing qi:
(a) Mainly use Yigong Powder, combined with 30-60 grams of astragalus. , 12-15 grams of Codonopsis, 9-12 grams of Atractylodes and Poria, 6 grams of tangerine peel, 12 grams of licorice
(b) 20 grams of red ginseng, 50 grams of astragalus, 30 grams of white spoon, and 45 grams of Atractylodes. , 20 grams of moxibustion licorice, 30 grams of cinnamon, 20 jujubes, ground into fine powder, 500 grams of honey, refined honey pills, 10 grams per pill, containing 3.8 grams of crude medicine, taken three times a day, one pill each time < /p>
(4) Nourishing Yin and Cooling Blood Recipe: 9 grams each of Rehmannia glutinosa, Ligustrum lucidum, Alisma, hawthorn, Scutellaria baicalensis, Angelica dahurica, and mulberry leaves, 24 grams each of Polygonum multiflorum and Eclipta grass, Gentian grass, 6 grams each of cork and cypress, and 12 grams of pachyrhizus.
(5) Recipe for soothing the liver and regulating qi: Recipe such as Xiaochaihu Decoction to treat alopecia areata. There are also reports in Japan that Xiaochaihu decoction with a flavor is used to treat this disease. The efficacy is satisfactory, especially for patients with alopecia areata related to neurological factors. Jia
(6) Guzhu Tongluo prescription: such as cassia twig, dragon bone, oyster, red spoon, licorice, Ligustrum lucidum, Eclipta, Schisandra, etc.
Internal medicinal supplements Psoralen preparation "Plenicotin", 5 ml, intramuscular injection, once a day for several months; Shouwu injection or granule for oral administration; Astragalus and Angelica injection for injection; Wuxu Shengfa Pill for oral administration; Jinsuogujing Pill for oral administration; Qibao Beautiful Beard Pill, 2 times a day, 1 pill each time; Liuwei Dihuang Pills, 2 times a day, 1 pill each time; Shenqi Pills or Bazhen Pills, 2 times a day, 1 pill each time; Shenying Yangzhen Dan, 6 grams, twice a day; 15 grams of Polygonum multiflorum, 15 grams of wolfberry, 15 grams of Angelica sinensis, 30 grams of raw Platycladus orientalis leaves, decoction in water.
Rub fresh ginger for external use; add 100 grams of Cordyceps sinensis and 400 grams of white wine, soak for 1 week and apply externally; 10 grams of Polygonum multiflorum, 5 grams of Sichuan pepper, 250 grams of white wine, soak and apply for 1 day 3 times.
Diet therapy: Slice ginger and rub the skin of the hair loss area 1 to 2 times a day for 4 to 5 minutes each time to heat the scalp. Use it continuously until new hair grows; rub chili oil on the affected area. Several times a day can promote hair regeneration; decoct 150 grams of mulberry white bark to remove the residue, concentrate it and put it into a bottle, and apply it to the hair loss area several times a day; fry black sesame seeds and grind them into powder, mix with lard, and rub Affected area: Soak 1 centipede in 30 ml of 75% alcohol, and rub the affected area after 7 days, once every other day. You can also take 15 grams of chili powder, 10 grams of salicylic acid, 1.5 grams of cantharides, 1 ml of carbolic acid, and 10 ml of castor oil, soaked in 350 ml of 75% alcohol, and rub the affected area after 7 days; heat the eel fish oil and apply it to the affected area, 1 Twice a day, 3 to 5 minutes each time, 7 to 10 days as a course of treatment.
[Chinese patent medicines]
⑴Shiquan Dabu Pills, 10 grams each time, 2 times a day
⑵Yangxue Shengfa Pills, 10 grams each time Gram, 2 times a day
⑶ Nourishing hair capsules, 4 capsules each time, 2 times a day
⑷ Shouwu tablets, 5 capsules each time, 3 times a day< /p>
⑸Danggui tablets, take 5 tablets each time, 3 times a day
⑹Qiju Dihuang pills, take 6 grams each time, 2-3 times a day
⑺ Nourishing Blood and Anshen Tablets, take 5 tablets each time, 3 times a day
⑻ Alopecia areata pills, take 5 grams each time, 3 times a day or 9 grams per pill, 2 times a day
⑼Qibao Beauty Pill, 1 pill each time, 2 times a day or 3 pills each time, 2 times a day
⑽Thin-covered Ganoderma lucidum tablets, 3 times a day. 4 tablets each time; injection, 4 ml each time, intramuscular injection once a day
[External prescription]
Commercially available Chinese patent medicines include: 10% Cantharis tincture , 20% psoralen tincture, 25% Sichuan pepper tincture, 101 hair regenerating essence, alopecia areata hair tonic, etc. Other prescriptions:
⑴ Garlic for external rubbing: Garlic is pungent in taste and warm in nature. It also has the functions of removing wind, breaking cold, sedating, and relieving itching. It is a sulfur-containing plant volatile oil, which has the effect of stimulating, stimulating, and stimulating. Blood circulation and sweating effect.
⑵ Apply ginger externally: Ginger contains "gingerol", which can excite nerves, expand blood vessels in the skin and mucous membranes, and improve blood circulation. You can squeeze out the juice from fresh ginger and use a small brush dipped in ginger juice to brush the bald area 3 times a day.
⑶ Wash fresh Eclipta grass, squeeze the natural juice, and rub the affected area 3-5 times a day.
⑷Dry the leaves of Platycladus orientalis in the shade, grind into powder and rub with sesame oil.
⑸ Glycerin red garlic juice: Peel fresh red garlic and mash it to extract the juice. Stir garlic juice and glycerin in a ratio of 3:2 and rub it externally on the hair loss area
⑹ Dip Pinellia ternata in vinegar and rub outside
⑺ 50 grams of raw Sichuan black powder, mix with vinegar and rub outside, once a day in the morning and evening
⑻ 15 grams of grapefruit core, soak in boiling water for half an hour. Externally rub the affected area
⑼ Add 30 grams of Cordyceps Sinensis to 100 ml of white wine, soak for a week, filter and extract the juice, apply externally to the affected area, 5 times a day
⑽ Banana wine: Cantharis 9 pieces, 30 grams of hibiscus bark, 12 grams of camphor, 300 ml of white wine, soaked for 2 weeks and then rubbed externally
⑾7 grams of cantaloupe, 12 grams each of Drynariae and Rhizoma Rhizoma, fresh Platycladus orientalis leaves 30 grams, chop the above four herbs and soak them in 500 ml of 75% alcohol or ordinary white wine, and rub them outside after a week
⑿ 15 grams each of Chaotian red pepper, fresh ginger and Platycladus orientalis leaves, soak in a cup of white wine After one night, take out the twisted concoction and a small amount of white wine, and rub the affected area every morning and evening
⒀ Platycladus orientalis liquid wine: 15 grams each of Platycladus orientalis leaves, Guiwei, Cuscuta seeds, and ginger, soaked in white wine (covered with Apply the medicinal surface) and rub it externally after walking
⒁30 grams each of psoralen and polygonum multiflorum, 15 grams each of dodder and root root, soak in 40 degree white wine, and after a week take the juice and rub it externally on the affected area , once in the morning and once in the evening
⒂90 grams of fresh Platycladus orientalis leaves, 45 grams of Kaempferia kaempferiae, and 700 mg of 75% alcohol. After soaking in a bottle for 7-10 days, dip the cut surface of the ginger in the liquid and apply it vigorously repeatedly
p>⒃ 21 sheep flowers, fresh ginger (Drynariae rhizome), a finger-sized section, cut into 17 pieces, put the above two medicines in a medium bowl, soak the top with sorghum wine, and seal the mouth of the bowl with paper , put it in a pot, steam it over water for about an hour, and rub the affected area with medicinal wine 4-5 times a day. It may occur after more than a month. This medicine is poisonous and should not be eaten.
⒄ 15 grams each of sulfur, realgar, and phoenix coat, 9 grams of cannon beetle, 30 grams each of talcum powder and pig suet, make it into fine powder, mix the suet and pig bile into powder, and pound If it is like mud, wrap it with gauze and rub the affected area 2-3 times a day for 1-2 weeks.
⒅ 12 grams each of ginseng leaves, Platycladus orientalis leaves, and white moss bark. Soak in sorghum wine for a week, then rub the affected area externally, 3 times a day.
⒆Psoralen 25 grams, Eclipta 25 grams, 200 ml of 75% alcohol, soak for a week and then rub externally, several times a day.
⒇ 6 grams of ginger and 15 grams of raw pinellia (grinded). First rub the ginger on the affected area for one minute, wait, and then rub it for another minute or two, then rub it with raw pinellia fine powder mixed with sesame oil. Continuous application can have the effect of ***
[Single prescription]
⑴ 5 grams of Ligusticum chuanxiong, 20 grams of Polygonum multiflorum, 30 grams of peach kernels, break them into pieces and soak them in water instead of tea. Take it with any external medication.
⑵ Poria cocos powder: 2 times a day, 6 grams each time or 10 grams before going to bed, or taken orally with Poria cocos decoction in water, the effect is quite good.
⑶Made into a mixture based on Tripterygium wilfordii and Shouwu. Each milliliter contains 1 gram of Tripterygium wilfordii crude drug, adult dosage is 10 ml, 3 times a day, 2 months as a course of treatment
⑷Chinese medicine Astragalus treats refractory alopecia areata: 60 grams of Astragalus is boiled in water, mixed, divided into morning and evening Take the medicine continuously until the hair grows new. The course of treatment is 3 months to half a year. The effective rate is 79.3%
⑸ Saute chicken gizzard and grind it finely. Take 25 grams each time, 3 times a day, with warm water. , has good results
Some patients may only have a few patches of hair loss at first, but as the condition progresses, the hair around the hair loss area will fall off easily. After a few weeks or months, most of the scalp will become Hair loss occurs in patches, forming alopecia totalis. Such patients may have no conscious symptoms on their scalp. A few patients may experience itching, numbness, or swelling in their scalp.
Some patients also lose eyebrows, beards, armpit hair, and ear hair. In severe cases, eyelashes, nose hairs, and vellus hair all over the body may fall off, eventually leading to alopecia universalis. After one month to several months of progress, the condition gradually stabilizes until the growth stage, and white vellus hair gradually grows, and finally black hair forms.
The course of alopecia totalis or alopecia universalis is generally longer than that of alopecia areata, and recovery is very slow. Some patients may not recover for many years or even become permanently bald.
Reference materials:
Alopecia areata is not scary
This disease often occurs suddenly in a patch or bald spot, because most of them do not have any conscious symptoms, and the patients themselves do not People who know they have alopecia areata are often notified until someone accidentally discovers it or gets a haircut. Most of these bald spots are round or oval, with very neat edges. If there are many bald spots, the boundaries are not very clear. The plaques are small when they first appear, 1-2 cm in diameter, and can gradually expand. When alopecia areata develops and expands, the seemingly normal hair on the periphery can be easily pulled out. The hair roots are very thin, gray-white, and painless. The local scalp is of normal color and the surface is smooth and shiny. Only a few patients are accompanied by local scalp itching and reddish scalp in alopecia areata when the disease first develops.
Some patients with alopecia areata have smaller bald spots, with only 1-2 bald spots. They stop expanding within a few weeks, and the peripheral hair grows very firmly without symptoms of loose hair. This is a sign of improvement. Soon, fine light-colored vellus hair will appear on the smooth bald spot, which will gradually become darker, thicker and denser, and the hair will return to normal. In some alopecia areata, the surrounding hair is obviously loose and expands rapidly, and new bald spots appear one after another. Although some new growth of light-colored vellus hair appears in the center of several alopecia areata, such new fine hairs cannot be seen at the edges. This is Alopecia areata will not heal in a short time. Alopecia areata usually occurs on the scalp first, but in rare cases it can appear first on the eyebrows, beard or vellus hair on the limbs. It is also a hair loss spot with clear edges, which often does not disappear in a short period of time. If the patient already has white hair, the black hair in the alopecia areata will fall off first, and the white hair will fall off later or not at all. In addition to alopecia areata like adults, children can also lose hair under the pillow and along the back hairline, which is called serpentine alopecia, which is difficult to cure.
Alopecia areata often recurs after recovery. Some patients relapse after a few months, and others relapse after a few years. Some patients relapse only once, and some relapse multiple times. The recurrence of alopecia areata is irregular. Generally speaking, people with a family history of alopecia areata, especially those with a family history of recurrence of alopecia areata, have a much greater chance of recurrence. A few patients with alopecia areata may develop into alopecia totalis and then alopecia universalis after multiple recurrences.
A small number of patients with alopecia areata may experience changes in their nails, which are manifested as numerous miliary-sized depressions on the deck, rough and uneven deck surfaces, brittle nails, and nail loss. Those accompanied by nail changes are a sign of severe alopecia areata. Most mild and general cases of alopecia areata have nail abnormalities, and those with nail plate lesions are less likely to heal alopecia areata on their own.
The course of alopecia areata is very inconsistent. It is difficult to accurately predict how far alopecia areata will develop, whether new damage will occur, and whether there will be recurrence. In general, multiple alopecia areata is more severe than solitary alopecia, alopecia totalis is more severe than alopecia areata, and the most severe one is alopecia universalis. Most alopecia areata can heal on its own after several months or longer. There are also a few cases of alopecia areata, including alopecia totalis and alopecia universalis, which are difficult to cure despite various treatments.
Is alopecia areata caused by hair shaving?
There was a middle-aged woman who quarreled with her husband over trivial matters at home. She was very worried afterwards and suffered from insomnia for several consecutive days. One day, she suddenly discovered that there was a 15-point bald spot on the back of her occiput. A bald area the size of a coin. The neighbor's old lady told him that this was a ghost shave. This middle-aged woman was even more horrified. Within a few days, the bald area gradually expanded and her hair was almost completely gone.
If there are no ghosts in the world, then naturally there can be no ghosts shaving people’s heads. So why are they called ghosts shaving their heads? This simply means that the hair fell out suddenly and unknowingly, and the patient himself did not know when the hair fell out. The hair loss process is short and miraculous.
Patients with alopecia areata, please pay attention to their eyes
In recent years, it has been discovered at home and abroad that patients with alopecia areata can develop eye lesions. About an average of patients develop lens changes, including lens opacity and astigmatism; 1/3 of patients develop retinal changes, such as mild pigmentation areas, pigment spots, diffuse or localized pigment loss, etc. None of these eye changes affect vision. Cataracts may also be present. The frequency of eye changes in alopecia areata is the same in patients with multiple alopecia areata, alopecia totalis and alopecia universalis, and has no significant relationship with the duration of alopecia areata and the age of the patient.
Local treatment of alopecia areata
The purpose of topical treatment of alopecia areata is to eliminate skin congestion, improve and promote local blood circulation, and facilitate hair regeneration. There are also many types of physical therapy. ***Ming Spark 2-3 times a week. Ultraviolet irradiation can promote blood circulation and promote new hair regeneration. It is irradiated once every 2-3 days and requires long-term treatment. Photochemotherapy can be used for large-area and stubborn alopecia areata. First, rub 0.1% 8-methoxypsoralen alcohol solution on the alopecia areata, and then irradiate long-wave ultraviolet rays for 45 minutes. Start twice a week, and maintain the amount each time to minimize erythema. quantity. When most of the new hair regenerates, the number of irradiations is gradually reduced, and generally more than 30 treatments can be performed. One problem with this method is that it prevents consolidation treatment after the hair has completely grown. Since long-wave ultraviolet rays cannot pass through the hair and reach the hair, it is necessary to frequently cut off the newly grown hair and expose the scalp to facilitate the continuous chemotherapy and achieve the goal. The purpose of consolidating the therapeutic effect.
Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease
Although the cause of alopecia areata has been studied in various aspects for decades and many theories and theories have been put forward, there is still no clear answer so far. No conclusion. In recent years, due to the rapid development of immunology, especially the progress of immunological testing technology, many patients with alopecia areata have been found to have immune abnormalities. Based on this, some people have suggested that alopecia areata may be an autoimmune disease. However, continued There are also many people with opposite opinions. The evidence that alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease is as follows:
(1) First of all, clinical observations have found that alopecia areata often occurs in combination with some confirmed or possible autoimmune diseases.
(2) A variety of antibodies against self-tissues are found in the serum of alopecia areata patients. Immunological studies have found that there are a variety of autoantibodies in the serum of alopecia areata patients.
(3) Corticosteroids are effective drugs in the treatment of autoimmune diseases. This drug also has a good effect in treating alopecia areata and can regenerate hair. For patients with autoantibodies, the antibodies disappear after treatment. This fact also suggests that alopecia areata may be an autoimmune disease.
(4) The hair loss growth potential of alopecia areata and alopecia totalis is normal, and alopecia areata is caused by abnormalities in body fluid factors. This study indirectly supports the role of immune dysfunction in the pathogenesis of alopecia areata.
(5) Applying dinitrochlorobenzene externally to alopecia areata can regenerate hair in some patients.
These may be due to the local induction of a second antigen by dinitrochlorobenzene, forming antigen competition and generating a new immune response, thereby inhibiting the original anti-hair follicle antigen response. Some people think that this indirectly shows that alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease.
The above research results support that alopecia areata is related to immune dysfunction. However, these immunological abnormalities only exist in some patients with alopecia areata, and some patients have normal immune function. More importantly, despite many efforts, it has not been possible to accurately detect the self-anti-hair follicle or hair bulb-related components. Antibody.
Although there are still different debates, based on various evidences and facts, it is currently believed that alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease.