Scarring alopecia manifests as different disorders that are characterized by scarred areas of the scalp and is found at approximately 3% patients that are suffering from hair loss. It can appear at both men and women. Whether there are lots of types, scarring alopecia is described in general as a disease that permanently destroys the hair follicles, causing the scars to appear.
The diagnoses are various, but some examples of scarring alopecia diseases are eosinophilic pustular folliculitis, lichen planopilaris, dissecting cellulitis, pseudopelade of Brocq and so on. In addition, the chronic lupus erythematosus disease can include scarring alopecia, because in this disease many areas of the body are affected.
At the beginning, this disease takes the form of small areas of hair loss, which are more likely to amplify with time. Even if in some cases it is very hard to notice it and can be unnoticeable for a long period, there are cases in which it’s very hard to ignore it because of the itching and pain. In this first stage, there can also appear inflammatory cells of the hair follicles, which are destroying the follicles and developing the scars found on the scalp.
Regarding the diagnosis, sometimes the scars’ appearance could be useful. Anyway, it’s very hard to give a diagnosis by following the pattern of the hair loss. To be sure the diagnosis is an accurate one, a biopsy (or more) needs to be done and you will detect the right type of scarring alopecia.
The manifestations of this disease can include the permanent damage of the hair and even permanent hair loss. Therefore, the treatment can be aggressive. The treatment involving injections and corticosteroids found in topical creams is best for pseudopelade and lichen planopilaris. If the diseased reached an advanced stage, you can take surgery into consideration.
