Hair loss can be depressing and have a negative impact on a patient’s quality of life. Regardless of the cause, hair loss is referred to as alopecia. It does not only affect the scalp; it can affect any part of the body. Every person is born with approximately 100,000 hair follicles on the scalp on average and around 5 million on the entire body. Alopecia, or hair loss, is defined as a decrease in this number for whatever reason.
Heredity, hormonal fluctuations, medical disorders, autoimmune responses, trauma, and hair grooming habits among others can all cause hair loss. Hair loss is something that can happen to anyone and can manifest itself in a variety of ways, depending on the cause. It might occur abruptly or gradually, and it can affect only your scalp or other regions of your body. There are majorly two types of hair loss namely scarring and non-scarring alopecia.

What is scarring alopecia?

Scarring, also known as cicatricial alopecia is an inflammatory scalp disorder that causes scarring and permanent hair loss by destroying hair follicles. Inflammation affects the hair follicle by impinging on the hair follicle stem cells, resulting in cicatricial alopecia. Trauma and stress can further exacerbate the scarring alopecia. It usually may start as little patches of hair loss that can spread over time. Cicatricial alopecia affects both men and women. Different people’s cicatricial alopecia progresses in different ways.

Inflammation is believed to damage hair follicle stem cells and oil glands, causing scarring and hair loss. Stem cells and sebaceous glands are located at the top of the follicle, where inflammation occurs. If they are destroyed, the follicle can’t regenerate, leading to permanent hair loss. Cicatricial alopecia is not spreadable. Hair loss can occur gradually, without causing apparent signs, and go undiscovered for a long period.
In some cases, hair loss is accompanied by intense itching, burning, and discomfort, and it progresses quickly. Diagnosing cicatricial alopecia requires a clinical examination and obtaining a scalp sample for histological analysis. The biopsy can reveal the kind, location, and degree of the inflammation. Treatment options include systemic, topical, and injectable anti-inflammatory medicines, depending on the situation.

What is non-scarring alopecia?

Nonscarring alopecia, also known as non-cicatricial alopecia, is hair loss that occurs without any scarring. The capillary cycle disrupts, but the hair follicles remain intact. It is feasible to distinguish various disorders in this group based on hair distribution in specific locations of the scalp.
Hair loss can be either diffusing or show a distinct pattern; while in other cases can lead to total baldness. It causes minimal skin irritation but may result in considerable hair loss. Age, hereditary factors, some drugs, additional medical disorders, stress, and other variables can all contribute to this condition. Non-scarring alopecia can affect men, women, and children.

How can I differentiate scarring and non-scarring alopecia?

Your hair is like the body’s barometer reflecting back exactly the condition that the body is in. You should take any changes on the hair and scalp with utmost keenness. From itching, sensitivity, loss of hair in patches to painful scalp or hair shedding- visit your scalp specialist to determine the cause and receive early intervention.
When it comes to hair loss a stitch in time saves nine. We cannot underestimate the importance of a scalp and hair consultation. Your hair and scalp specialist will deduce what is going on by obtaining a medical history, as your current health condition might provide detailed information about your hair and scalp health. After establishing a diagnosis through the consultation process, the specialist knows how to best treat the scalp or hair condition.

In some cases, a hair and scalp specialist will recommend appropriate tests to confirm or rule out any possible diagnoses. An expert understands that accurate diagnosis requires careful history taking,
suitable investigations, and a thorough physical examination. When it comes to treatment, there is no
one size fits all remedy for either scarring or non-scarring alopecia. We address every case uniquely and from an individual point of view.

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One remarkable advancement in medicine, has made it possible to restore hair loss and achieve natural-looking outcomes with hair transplants.  This procedure can help many people regain a complete or fuller head of hair. Hair transplant surgery involves relocating existing hair to fill in areas with thin or no hair. How is a hair transplant performed? Grafts containing hair follicles are extracted from healthy hair areas like the scalp, chest, or beard, known as the donor site. If the grafts are taken from your scalp, they are normally taken from the back and sides of your head, just below the occipital bone an area referred to as the safe zone. The harvested grafts are then replanted on areas of the scalp that are bald or thinning. This procedure is performed under local anesthesia and the client is fully awake throughout the procedure.

How it begins

The procedure begins with mapping or demarcating the recipient area. Hair on the donor area is trimmed short just before surgery so that the grafts may be readily accessed and removed. The donor area is numbed and the healthy grafts are harvested. The recipient area, which is where the grafts will be implanted, is anesthetized after the grafts are harvested, and tiny channels are constructed where the grafts will be placed. A hair transplant might take anywhere from four to eight hours.

What is the recovery?

Hair transplants are outpatient procedures, which means you can return home the same day. The recovery process can vary from person to person. However, after 7 days, one is fully recovered and can resume normal daily activities.

Who can do a hair transplant?

Hair loss can be attributed to various factors such as genetic susceptibilities (Androgenetic alopecia), scalp injuries, past cranial surgeries, trauma (like traction alopecia), and more. Additionally, burns, scalds, and certain incidents may lead to permanent hair loss that can be restored through a hair transplant. Transplantation can also benefit scalps affected by inflammatory or autoimmune-related disorders, provided these conditions have been appropriately treated. A consultation is crucial to assess hair transplant candidacy, considering factors like donor area availability, the extent of hair loss, and scalp health before proceeding with the procedure.

When do I see results?

The growth of transplanted hair may differ from person to person. However, at 6 months, the majority of patients have achieved 50% growth, and full growth is expected within 9-12 months. It’s important to understand that the transplanted hair may fall out between two and eight weeks after surgery. This is very normal. The hair transplanted transitions to the shedding phase, which causes the fallout. The good news is that the follicles remain intact and begin producing hair shortly after this time.

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