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Tea Tree Oil Cure for Centripetal Cicatricial Alopecia

Centripetal cicatricial alopecia is a rare form of hair loss caused by scarring at the hair follicles (the living part of the hair, under the skin’s surface). Men and women of all ages, but mostly young adults, suffer from this condition. Cicatricial is a medical term referring to scar tissue. Centripetal simply means moving toward the center. Tea tree oil is an antimicrobial from Melaleuca alternifolia, a plant used by the Australian aborigines for thousands of years. It is used in any number of herbal products but is best known in the U.S. for treating nail fungus.

  1. Treating Centripetal Cicatricial Alopecia

    • Most medical references distinguish between primary and secondary types of this condition -- depending on whether the disease is the byproduct of another infection or happening on its own. Secondary cicatricial alopecia may be the result of an infection, a burn, radiation, or even tumors, in which case you need to attack it by treating the main cause.

      Primary cicatricial alopecia is distinguished according to which kinds of white blood cells are causing the damage to the hair follicles, with different treatments if lymphocytes or neutrophils, or both, are to blame. Central centrifugal alopecia is associated with the lymphocitic form, according to the Cicatricial Alopecia Research Foundation. Scientists do not understand the actual causes very well.

    Tea Tree Oil

    • Tea tree oil is often used in topical medicines for treating skin infections. It occasionally shows up as one of the active ingredients in hair loss remedies and is added to some shampoos. There do not appear to be studies on tea tree oil as a treatment or cure for scarring alopecia in particular, but its antimicrobial effect, particularly in skin infections, suggests that it may be useful.

      On the other hand, most treatments for lymphocytic cicatricial alopecias center on using anti-inflammatory medicines to prevent the cells from attacking the hair follicles, and tea tree oil is not known as an anti-inflammatory in particular. Tea tree oil has also been shown to be antiviral, with the biggest impact before the viral infection establishes itself. That’s important because lymphocytes are most active in fighting viral diseases.

    Be Cautious

    • Cicatricial alopecia is not something you should try to diagnose and treat on your own. You need to see a dermatologist to get an accurate diagnosis, which starts with a biopsy (taking a very small sample of the affected skin for a look at it under the microscope and for other testing). The biopsy results will let the doctor know more about the kind of inflammation in order to figure out what kind of cicatricial alopecia you are suffering from and how fast it is developing. This condition can spread very quickly, with a good deal of skin irritation, pain and itching, or it can develop and spread slowly and show hardly any symptoms other than hair loss. Knowing all of these things is essential for the doctor in determining the appropriate therapy for your particular case.

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