Scarring Alopecia

When a patient complains of hair loss that accompanies one or more other symptoms such as severe itching on the scalp, pimples or redness, thickened patches, crusting, hyper or hypo pigmentation or any inflammation, this can indicate a type of hair loss that may cause scarring of the hair follicles. This can also affect facial hair too such as the eyebrows, occasionally seen in untreated Thyroid disease. I use a derma scope, a valuable tool to facilitate diagnosis of hair and scalp disorders and disease stage and progression. Subtle features seen with the naked eye are visibly enhanced and photos recorded for future reference. With any scarring alopecia, it often follows a compromise in your immune system, triggered by a systemic, neural or environmental influence, such as extreme stress, mal-absorption or disease, etc. Your nails are made of keratin too so be aware of changes for example Ridges, Beau’s lines, Brittle or discolored nails are another indication of metabolic imbalance. Your hair and scalp are part of your body systems and often show signs and symptoms of disease many months before it shows up in blood tests. Be aware of any changes and investigate early to avoid any unnecessary hair loss.