Thanks to scalp micropigmentation, it is now possible to completely camouflage patchy hair loss, a symptom that is usually diagnosed as alopecia areata.
Although in some cases the onset of alopecia can signal an underlying health problem, in most cases there is no serious condition that is causing it. There is growing evidence that alopecia areata may be caused or aggravated by stress and physical trauma, however when hair loss can be attributed directly to a particular occurrence or event, the pattern of hair loss is usually different. The areata condition itself is completely harmless from a physical point of view, but it can have a significant impact on a persons confidence and overall quality of life.
It is unsurprising that many people seek to hide their patchy hair loss, in fact some become quite the expert at it. Particularly in the case of those with longer hair, it is often possible to style the hair in a certain way to completely mask the patches. Women with long hair for example, can usually wear their hair in a bunch to hide patches at the back of the head. Unfortunately this is highly dependent on the placement and size of the patches, and certainly men are much less likely to have hair long enough to achieve self-camouflage. For this reason, other options are commonly sought.
What are the traditional alopecia remedies?
There are various options available to the alopecia sufferer.
One option for the disc-like patches of baldness is injections of the steroid cortisone into each patch, which can help to dampen down the inflammation caused by the immune system attack, responsible for destroying hair follicles. If the hair loss is widespread, then cortisone injections may not be a realistic prospect. Another option is a solution of Minoxidil, available from chemists, which can be added to the treatment plan if response to the steroid injection is poor. Results achieved with Minoxidil can vary however.
Immunotherapy may be helpful. Here, a powerful chemical irritant is placed on the patches of hair loss. The most commonly used substance is diphencyprone, and over a number of weeks an increasingly high strength of this chemical is used, which eventually initiates an allergic reaction, and the skin will develop eczema. The resultant reaction is associated with a return of hair growth, though why this works is unknown. Some patients respond favourably and see the return of hair. This highly specialised treatment is carried out by a dermatologist.
It is important to note however that overall success rates of traditional treatments are poor, and the condition is frequently recurrent so it may come back. This causes many men to seek a more permanent solution.
How can scalp micropigmentation help?
This is an entirely different approach. As alopecia areata is not harmful to a persons physical wellbeing, scalp micropigmentation does not attempt to cure the condition, but rather to conceal its symptoms. Unlike other remedies that may or may not work (success rates remain low), from a camouflage point of view scalp micropigmentation is absolutely guaranteed to work. The result is not a cessation of the symptoms, but a complete concealment of their existence.
Scalp micropigmentation enables the client to go about their daily life without worrying about alopecia. The only requirement is that they keep their hair shaved, and the resulting appearance is of a full and uninterrupted head of hair. Furthermore because the entire scalp is treated in most cases, if the patches move, become larger or disappear, the persons appearance remains the same.
For more information about the treatment options available, please see the following resources:
