What is Central Centrifugal Cicatricial Alopecia?'

HairlossANSWERS - Click to Submit Your Query to Our Hair Loss Experts

Name: 

Vu

Question: What is Central Centrifugal Cicatricial Alopecia and can it be treated?

Answer: Hi, Vu. Central Centrifugal Cicatricial Alopecia (CCCA) is a form of scarring hair loss which comes under the term Cicatricial Alopecia.



It is a fairly rare condition generally although it is most commonly found in black women. It causes permanent hair loss due to the follicles being destroyed through inflammation. However, as with many hair loss conditions, there is still an amount of uncertainty surrounding CCCA.

Whilst it is a diagnosis in its own right many experts believe it to be linked to or synonymous with Follicular Degeneration Syndrome. Researchers have also found a possible association between the condition and type 2 diabetes, as per the 2011 study conducted by the Cleveland Clinic Institute of Dermatology and Plastic Surgery, although there is no conclusive clinical evidence supporting this at the time of writing.

It is also thought to have a genetic element as CCCA can run in families, though whether this is truly passed on through DNA or via the teaching of hair styling techniques, such as harsh chemical straightening, which can cause cicatricial alopecia is unclear.

If CCCA is caught in its very earliest stages before scarring sets in it may be possible to treat, as you can see from our Follicular Degeneration Syndrome Treatment Success Stories. If the hair follicles are still alive then stimulation from a personalised treatment plan featuring specially-selected high strength minoxidil formulations from the range available at Belgravia, can prove effective.

These treatments are applied directly to the scalp where needed and can be combined with suitable boosters as advised on a client-by-client basis by their hair loss specialist nurse. Incidentally, CCCA often presents alongside Traction Alopecia which can also be treated concurrently.

In the more advanced stages, once scarring has set indicating that the follicle has died, pharmaceutical treatment is no longer an option which is why it is particularly important to be proactive in seeking professional help if you are concerned about this type of hair loss. In these instances where the loss is permanent sometimes a hair transplant may be considered although many women opt for hair replacement systems instead.


Copy of New Street Ground Floor Reception 1 no pink nail polish

The Belgravia Centre

The Belgravia Centre is a world-renowned group of a hair loss clinic in Central London, UK. If you are worried about hair loss you can arrange a free consultation with a hair loss expert or complete our Online Consultation from anywhere in the world for home-use treatment.

View our Hair Loss Success Stories, which includes the world's largest gallery of hair growth photos and demonstrates the level of success that so many of Belgravia's patients achieve.