Connected health information

Explore this condition in a clear order

1. Attributes 2. Signs & symptoms 3. Drugs / medications 4. Treatments by type 5. Further tests / investigations 6. Biological / test markers

Condition overview

Attributes

Commonalityis common

Linked signs and symptoms

2

Each sign/symptom opens its own page and links back to related conditions.

Linked drugs / medications

3

Medication information is educational only. A doctor or pharmacist should advise whether any medicine is appropriate.

Treatments, therapies and supportive options

26

Grouped by treatment type. These are educational database links, not personal treatment recommendations. Evidence labels are shown only where stored in the EH database.

Medical procedures and investigations

4

Medical therapy

3

Lifestyle changes

2

Alternative and complementary therapies

10

Alternative medicine

6

Vitamins and minerals

1

Vitamin B ComplexWeakly in Favour(Moderate Evidence)

Linked diagnostic tests and investigations

2

These are pulled from both EH diagnostic-test link tables, including the older large test-link table.

Biological and test markers

0

This visual map uses existing EH database links to show biological agents and lab markers reported as increased, decreased, or associated with this condition. These are educational relationships only; test results must be interpreted by a qualified clinician because ranges vary by lab, method, age, sex and clinical context.

No biological marker links are listed yet for this condition.

Introduction / full article

Alopecia

ID 16

Alopecia

Alopecia is the loss of hair from the head or any part of the body. It is often of concern to patients largely for cosmetic reasons, but it can be a crucial indicator of an underlying illness.

Causes

Common causes of hair loss include:

· Male- or female-pattern hair loss, due to hormonal and hereditary factors;

· Drugs;

· Illness;

· Stress;

· Aging; and

· Sudden weight loss.

Disease pathway

Hair growth occurs in cycles, which each cycle comprising a growing phase; a transitional phase; and a resting phase. Following the resting face, the hair falls out, and a new cycle begins with a new hair growing in the follicle.

Usually, about 100 hairs on the head will fall out on a daily basis. When the number falling out is in considerable excess of this, hair loss may occur.

Symptoms and diagnosis

Male- and female-pattern hair loss can be diagnosed based on its typical appearance. In other cases, the cause of hair loss is often difficult to identify.

Techniques which may be used to diagnose the cause of alopecia can include:

· Microscopic examination of the hair follicles; and

· Blood tests to identify signs of hormonal abnormalities or other illnesses.

Treatment

The most appropriate course of treatment depends on the source of alopecia. In many patients, drugs have proven to be effective in promoting hair regrowth.

Hair transplantation is another option, wherein hair follicles are literally transplanted from a region of the scalp with higher concentration of hair to a site with less.

Efficacy of Alternative and Other Treatments According to GRADE* Ranking:

Vitamin B Complex [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11]:

Please note, this management does NOT treat the condition itself. It may mildly help in preventing some of the symptoms, and even then has insufficient evidence to back up this claim at present. Please note, this acts as a PREVENTATIVE treatment, and not necessarily symptomatic relief. Supplements should only be taken if they contain no more than 100% of the recommended daily value

Recommendation: Weakly in favor (Vitamin B may help in preventing alopecia due to its role in the body's metabolism and skin health)

Grade of Evidence: Moderate quality of evidence

Massage:

Recommendation: No recommendation (There is insufficient evidence to show that massage is able to treat alopecia)