Sudden alopecia areata in women

Since women's hair is generally longer, alopecia areata is more obvious. Alopecia areata is mainly manifested by the loss of hair in circular shapes on the scalp. Alopecia areata is more terrifying for women because every woman cares about her appearance. The sudden onset of alopecia areata may be caused by excessive mental stress leading to a decrease in the body's immunity and a subsequent decrease in physical fitness. So what should women do if they suddenly develop alopecia?

On sensitive hair follicles, dihydrotestosterone binds to androgen receptors. This hormone receptor complex activates genes, causing large terminal hair follicles to gradually transform into miniaturized hair follicles. The disease is characterized by the growth of hairs of varying lengths and thicknesses from small follicles. In women with alopecia areata, these fine hairs are more scattered but are most noticeable on the forehead and top of the scalp. Women usually keep a circle of hair along the frontal hairline. The fine hair, sparse hair pattern, and early onset support the diagnosis of this disorder. Severe alopecia areata in women.

Most female patients with alopecia areata have normal menstruation and can have normal pregnancies. Unless the patient has symptoms and signs of androgen excess, such as hirsutism, severe folliculitis, masculine characteristics, and milk leakage, comprehensive hormone testing is generally not necessary. Whether there is androgen excess can be determined by measuring the levels of total or free testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate and prolactin in the serum, and other possible causes of female alopecia areata can be ruled out by measuring serum thyroxine, iron and ferritin.

Patients with alopecia areata have a higher rate of some autoimmune diseases than the normal population. For example, those with thyroid disease account for 0-8%; those with vitiligo account for 4% (only 1% in normal people). However, research reports on autoantibodies in patients with alopecia areata are inconsistent, with some saying they exist and others saying they have not been found. A study on T cell subsets and β2 microglobulin by Zhang Xinjiang in China suggested that patients with alopecia areata have T cell network disorders and humoral immune disorders.