Alopecia Barbae Cures

Alopecia Barbae is a type of Alopecia Areata. There are three types of Alopecia Areata which include: Areata, Universalis, andTotalis. Alopecia Areata is characterized by small round patches of hair missing from the head and scalp. Alopecia Areata Barbae is the same type of round circular patches missing from the beard. While both women and men can suffer from all types of or Alopecia Areata, only men can suffer from Alopecia Barbae (American Academy of Dermatology, 2009).

Cures

• No one really knows why this hair loss occurs, other than that it is an autoimmune response from the body. For whatever reason, the hair sheds and can re-grow up to several years later. While only the body can truly cure the condition on its own by turning it off, there are some recommended treatments to encourage the hair follicles to re-grow faster than they would normally (American Academy of Dermatology, 2009).

  Cortisone injections are the single most common treatment used for Alopecia Barbae. These injections are usually performed by a dermatologist. A tiny needle is inserted repeatedly into the area of the skin where the hair is missing. If the injections work, a patient can expect to see hair re-grow in a period of four weeks. However, cortisone injections are no guarantee that hair will re-grow at all. The procedure is relatively painless with only a minor tingling sensation felt as the injections are placed into the surface of the skin. There are no major side effects from this treatment and the only minor side effects are sunken areas in the skin from the injections. These depressions will normally fill in by themselves after some time (National Alopecia Areata Foundation, 2008).

Topical Minoxidil

• Topical minoxidil has proven effective in re-growing hair for those suffering from Alopecia Barbae. A five percent solution should be applied to all areas where hair re-growth is desired. You should avoid using two percent topical minoxidil because this concentration has not proved to be effective in re-growing hair for those affected by Alopecia Areata. When topical minoxidil is accompanied with cortisone injections, it improves the chances for the re-growth of hair (National Alopecia Areata Foundation, 2008).

Anthralin

• Commonly used to treat psoriasis, the application of anthralin is another possible treatment for Alopecia Barbae. Anthralin is a synthetic cream or ointment that resembles a tar-like substance. This cream or ointment is applied to each of the bald patches of skin to encourage hair growth. The ointment is left on the skin for 30 to 60 minutes before it is washed off. If the treatment has been effective, new hair growth can be seen in approximately 12 to 14 weeks. However, this treatment comes with the most side effects. First, you need to make sure not to get the cream in your eyes. Second, the ointment can irritate or dye the skin, so care must be taken to not leave the cream on for more than the recommended time (National Alopecia Areata Foundation, 2008).