Rare Hair Loss Conditions

Male Pattern Baldness

and Alopecia Areata are two of the most common and well known hair loss conditions, but they are by no means the only ones. This week we take a look at some of the rarer hair loss conditions.

Folliculitis Decalvans

is a condition which causes baldness and scarring. The exact causes of this hair loss condition are unknown, but the results are inflammation, pustules and ‘hair tufts’, in which a number of hair shafts grow out of a single hair follicle opening. This is often compounded by infection by staphylococcal bacteria around the affected area.

The condition only affects adults, and is seen more commonly in men.  Hair loss is accompanied by scaling on the scalp, pain and swelling. Once it occurs, hair loss is permanent and there is no cure for the condition. It can however be controlled to some extent by antibiotics.

Trichophagia

Trichophagia is related to Trichotillomania, a hair loss condition in which the individual obsessively pulls out his or her own hair. Those with Trichophagia have a psychological compulsion to eat their own hair. The resulting hair loss is temporary, though if it is sufficiently prolonged and severe it can become permanent. A person with Trichophagia may also suffer digestive problems related to their ingestion of hair. As the condition is psychological in nature, so too is the treatment, with cognitive behavioural therapy being one possible avenue.

Pseudopelade

, or Alopecia Cicatrisata, is a hair loss condition which develops slowly, with patchy hair loss gradually deteriorating to become more widespread. It is also usually accompanied by inflammation around the hair follicles. The exact causes of Pseudopelade are not known, but, like Alopecia Areata, it is thought to be triggered by an auto-immune dysfunction. Pseudopelade can affect both genders, but is usually a female hair loss condition.

Lupus

is a rare auto-immune condition and can vary widely in severity. Hair loss is one of the more noticeable symptoms of the disease, as are rashes on the face and elsewhere on the body. Other symptoms include fatigue and joint pain. It most commonly occurs in women, but can also affect men.

There is currently no cure for lupus, but there are many drugs which can be used successfully to reduce its effects. Hair loss and other symptoms may increase and decrease periodically over time. The hair loss experienced by Lupus sufferers may therefore also come and go, but if scarring occurs or the hair follicles are destroyed it becomes permanent.

Seeking help for hair loss conditions

These are of course all extremely rare hair loss conditions. If you believe that you may be suffering from one of these rare conditions you should seek expert medical help and obtain a diagnosis. The Belgravia Centre’s hair loss experts can help with many different hair loss conditions, and we have a wide variety of treatments at our disposal. To find out more about our hair loss treatments, please contact us for a free consultation, or fill in our online diagnostic form to find out about an effective home-use treatment programme, which can be sent anywhere in the world.