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Alopecia is the clinical term for hair loss, and while you may associate it primarily with androgenic alopecia — commonly known as male pattern baldness — there are several types of alopecia that can affect not only your scalp but the hair on other parts of the body as well.
Although most forms of alopecia can be treated, it’s rare for hair loss to be fully reversed. Identifying hair loss early — and determining what type you’re dealing with — is critical to protecting the hair you have on your head right now.
Below, we outline the different types of alopecia and the symptoms associated with each. We also cover the numerous evidence-based treatment options available for each type of hair loss.
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While most hair loss in men is caused by androgenetic alopecia, or male pattern baldness, other forms of alopecia can also cause temporary or permanent hair loss. The most common forms of alopecia include:
Androgenetic Alopecia (Male Pattern Baldness)
Alopecia Areata (Spot Hair Loss)
Telogen Effluvium
Traction Alopecia
Tinea Capitis
Central Centrifugal Cicatricial Alopecia (Scarring Alopecia)
Hair Shaft Abnormalities
Hypotrichosis
To understand causes, symptoms, and treatments, for these types of alopecia, read on.
Androgenic alopecia typically presents as a receding hairline, a bald patch around your crown, or a horseshoe-shaped pattern of hair loss.
Androgenetic alopecia is the most common type of hair loss in men, affecting around 50 percent of men by age 50. The condition is often referred to as male pattern baldness for men, or female pattern baldness for female pattern hair loss for women.
Hair loss from androgenetic alopecia is caused by a genetic sensitivity to a hormone referred to as dihydrotestosterone, or DHT.
If you’re prone to male pattern baldness, DHT can bind to receptors in your scalp and harm your hair follicles. Over time, this damage can stop your hair follicles from being able to produce new hairs properly, resulting in thin hairs that are unable to penetrate through your skin.
Our guide to DHT and male hair loss explains how dihydrotestosterone works and its effects on your hair in more detail.
If you’re one of the many men affected by androgenetic alopecia, you might notice the following symptoms:
A receding hairline in an M or V-shaped pattern
A bald patch at the crown of your head
Diffuse thinning, giving your hair a low-density appearance
Severe hair loss on the front and top of your scalp
A U-shaped hair pattern, leaving hair only on the sides and back of your head
These symptoms can occur gradually over the course of several decades, or rapidly during your 20s, 30s, 40s, or later in life.
While hair loss from androgenetic alopecia is usually permanent, medications like finasteride (which blocks DHT) and minoxidil (which promotes hair growth) can help stop further loss, and in some cases, regrow hair. Treating it early can help you to stop further hair loss, retain the hair you still have and, in some cases, even regrow hair in areas of your scalp with noticeable thinning.
Treatments for male pattern baldness include:
Finasteride. This oral medication prevents your body from converting testosterone into DHT. It’s highly effective at preventing hair loss, but needs to be used daily to maintain your hair and prevent further shedding.
Minoxidil. This topical medication stimulates your hair follicles and often improves the growth of your existing hair. Like finasteride, minoxidil needs to be used every day for consistent, long-term results.
We offer both of these medications and other treatments as part of our Hair Power Pack, which is available online after an online consultation with a healthcare provider who will determine if a prescription is appropriate.
Androgenetic alopecia can also be treated through surgical procedures, such as hair transplant surgery.
Surgery to treat male pattern baldness can produce impressive, lasting results, but it’s typically expensive, and the results can vary based on the extent of your hair loss and the quality of the procedure. A dermatologist or other healthcare professional can discuss these options if you’re curious.
Our complete guide to male pattern baldness goes into greater detail on androgenetic alopecia, its symptoms, treatment options and more.
Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disorder that causes your immune system to attack hair follicles, leading to hair loss in small, round patches. It can affect the scalp, beard, eyebrows, and body hair.
Types of alopecia areata include:
diffuse alopecia areata
patchy alopecia areata
alopecia universalis
alopecia totalis
Other conditions, such as vitiligo, psoriasis, and thyroid disease, are known risk factors for this form of hair loss.
If you’re affected by alopecia areata, common symptoms include:
Patchy alopecia that develops in round areas on your scalp. These patches are usually small, around the same size as a quarter.
Hair loss that affects your beard. Alopecia barbae is a form of alopecia areata that only affects your beard and facial hair.
Total scalp hair loss. In some cases, alopecia areata can cause complete hair loss that occurs across your scalp. This form of severe alopecia areata is called alopecia totalis.
Complete hair loss across the body, face and scalp. This rare type of alopecia areata is referred to as alopecia universalis.
While an autoimmune condition isn’t curable, immunotherapy and dermatology symptom management can help you with hair loss due to alopecia areata.
Medications that control inflammation, such as corticosteroids, often help to treat this form of alopecia. Minoxidil may promote regrowth of hair.
Currently, there’s no cure for alopecia areata, nor are there reliable treatments for everyone with this form of hair loss.
However, some treatments may help to reduce inflammation and assist you in regrowing hair in areas affected by alopecia areata. These include:
Corticosteroids. Corticosteroids, which reduce inflammation and change your immune system, are often used to treat alopecia areata. These medications may be injected into affected skin, applied topically or taken by mouth in pill form.
Anthralin. This topical, tar-like medication, which is also used to treat psoriasis, is used directly on areas of skin affected by alopecia areata, then washed off the skin after 30 to 60 minutes.
Minoxidil. Topical minoxidil may stimulate hair growth on the scalp, eyebrows and other areas affected by alopecia areata. Minoxidil is often used with topical corticosteroids and other medications to treat this form of hair loss.
Mild cases of alopecia areata often improve without active treatment, especially if the underlying autoimmune disorder is managed. As this condition stabilizes, you may notice your hair growing back over the course of a few months. You can also learn more about what to avoid with alopecia areata in our guide on the topic.
However, for more widespread hair loss, it’s still not exactly known just how effective any type of treatment may be.
Telogen effluvium is a form of temporary hair loss caused by stress, illness, or types of medication. It occurs when hair follicles prematurely enter the resting phase of the hair growth cycle. (A similar experience that occurs in the anagen stage of hair growth is called anagen effluvium.)
Common causes of telogen effluvium include physical trauma, psychological stress, and other types of unexpected shock or change. It can occur as the result of infection, hormonal change, or nutritional deficiency. Certain medications, such as beta-blockers and retinoids, may also cause or contribute to this type of hair loss.
If you’re affected by telogen effluvium, you may notice diffuse alopecia that causes your hair to look thinner across your entire scalp.
Because it takes time for hairs in the telogen phase to fall out, you may not notice any hair loss for two to four months after the event that triggers this type of hair loss, meaning your hair may remain its normal density before falling out spontaneously.
Changing your habits or treating the underlying cause of telogen effluvium will usually stop this form of hair shedding. Minoxidil may help to promote hair regrowth.
Telogen effluvium usually improves on its own over the course of several months. It may take up to six months for your hair to start growing back.
Although research on its effects is limited, minoxidil may help to regrow hair that’s fallen out due to telogen effluvium.
When this type of hair loss is triggered by stress, anxiety or a specific medication, changing your habits may help to make telogen effluvium less severe and improve your hair growth.
For example, taking part in therapy may help to reduce feelings of stress or anxiety, helping you to limit hair loss caused by psychological stress.
Our guide to stress-related hair loss goes into more detail about telogen effluvium, its symptoms and steps that you can take to avoid this type of alopecia.
Traction alopecia is caused by tension on the hair follicles from tight hairstyles. If left untreated, it can cause permanent hair loss.
Traction alopecia is usually caused by continuous tension on the hair roots. While it can affect anyone, it is more common among Black women and men due to hairstyles like tight braids, weaves, or ponytails that may create added tension on the hair follicle.
Typically, traction alopecia will show as a receding hairline, bald spot or other change in hair thickness as the site where tension is occurring. Men and women who wear tight ponytails or other tight hairstyles may see receding at their hairline where the most tension is occurring.
People using damaging hair care products, chemicals and styling compounds may notice changes in the healthy hair as it is subjected to strain.
Early-stage traction alopecia can be treated by making changes to your hairstyle and care habits. More severe cases may require hair transplant surgery.
Hair loss from traction alopecia is usually reversible when the disease is treated during its early stages. However, long-term traction alopecia can potentially cause scarring and often results in permanent hair loss.
Treating traction alopecia depends on the stage of the disease. Early-stage traction alopecia is often treatable by reducing pressure on the hair by avoiding certain hairstyles, styling products, hair treatments and habits.
Chronic traction alopecia is usually more difficult to treat. For some people, hair transplantation can restore hair to areas of the scalp with thinning.
Other research suggests that minoxidil may be effective for restoring hair in people affected by severe traction alopecia.
Tinea capitis, or scalp ringworm, is a fungal infection that can cause hair loss. It is similar to ringworm and athlete’s foot, but it affects your scalp and hair follicles.
In some cases, the infection can make its way into your hair follicles and hair shafts, resulting in patches of hair loss across your scalp.
Most of the time, antifungal medications can treat this type of infection and prevent hair loss from getting worse.
Some hair loss from tinea capitis is temporary. However, when the tinea capitis infection causes inflammation, it can lead to permanent hair loss.
In certain cases, tinea capitis can spread from your scalp to other hair follicles on your face and body, including your eyebrows and eyelashes.
As a type of fungal infection, tinea capitis is usually treated with antifungal medications such as griseofulvin, itraconazole and fluconazole.
Sometimes, treatment may also involve antifungal shampoos. This type of hair loss usually gets better over the course of four to eight weeks as the infection is treated and your hair follicles are able to recover.
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Cicatricial alopecia, or scarring alopecia, is a group of hair loss disorders that cause permanent damage to your hair follicles and the development of scar tissue.
Cicatricial alopecia can be primary or secondary. In the case of primary cicatricial alopecia, your hair follicles are damaged by inflammation that develops beneath the surface of your skin. The follicles are then replaced by scar tissue, causing permanent hair loss.
In secondary cicatricial alopecia, an external injury or non-follicular biological process, such as a burn, infection or tumor, damages and destroys some or all of your hair follicles.
Cicatricial alopecia can cause a range of symptoms, including scaling, redness, changes in your skin’s pigmentation, pustules, and a smooth texture to affected areas of your scalp, often without any visible hair follicles.
This type of alopecia is treated with anti-inflammatory medications, antibiotics and other medications.
Compared to other forms of hair loss, cicatricial alopecia is rare. A range of treatments are used to manage inflammation and treat this form of hair loss, including anti-inflammatory medications, antibiotics and corticosteroids.
Hypotrichosis is a rare genetic condition where little or no hair grows on the scalp or body. This form of alopecia usually develops in infancy.
Hair loss from hypotrichosis can affect the entire body (generalized hypotrichosis) or be limited to just your scalp (scalp-limited hypotrichosis). It’s a hereditary condition that’s linked to certain genes and genetic mutations.
There’s currently no effective treatment for this hair growth condition.
Compared to other types of alopecia, hypotrichosis is uncommon. Currently, no treatments are available for this form of hair loss.
Conditions that damage the shaft of your hair, causing broken hairs and visible areas of thinning on your scalp.
Treatment for hair shaft abnormalities can range from therapy to different forms of medication.
Most forms of hair loss affect your hair follicles — the small, tunnel-shaped structures inside your skin from which hair grows.
Hair shaft abnormalities are conditions that cause hair loss by damaging the shaft of your hair -- the visible part that extends beyond your skin. Instead of the entire hair falling out, this type of alopecia may cause your hairs to break, resulting in brittle hair and visible thinning.
One potential hair shaft abnormality is trichotillomania -- a hair-pulling disorder in which you may experience a recurring urge to pull out your hair. This form of alopecia is typically treated with psychotherapy.
Another hair shaft abnormality is loose anagen syndrome, a type of alopecia that primarily affects girls between the ages of two to six, but it can affect boys, too.
People with loose anagen syndrome might have hairs that aren’t firmly attached to their follicles during their anagen phase, allowing them to fall out easily as they grow longer.
Loose anagen syndrome can cause hair loss once your hair reaches a certain length, or due to friction from everyday items such as a pillow or hat. Most of the time, this form of alopecia gets better on its own during adolescence.
Alopecia is common in both men and women, though some types can occur more or less frequently based on gender.
Forms of alopecia commonly experienced by women include:
Androgenic alopecia
Traction alopecia
Frontal fibrosing alopecia
Telogen effluvium (such as postpartum alopecia)
While most types of alopecia can’t be completely cured, many forms can be reversed or managed.
Androgenic alopecia, for instance, can be addressed with a combination of topical and oral medications to inhibit the hormones that kill off your follicles. In some cases, they can even reverse recent hair loss.
Medications like minoxidil (brand name Rogaine®) and finasteride (brand name Propecia®) offer the potential both to stimulate follicle regrowth and to control hormone imbalances, respectively.
Traction alopecia is best treated by stopping whatever habit or process is causing the damage. That might mean leaving your man bun down or working on hair-pulling habits with a therapist.
Alopecia areata is the most difficult to treat — while stimulating hair regrowth is an important part of the process, the autoimmune issues need the care of a professional, and treating the problem likely will mean more than just treating the symptoms.
Whether you have androgenetic alopecia or alopecia areata, dealing with any form of alopecia can be a stressful, frustrating experience that seriously affects your quality of life.
Because there are numerous different types of hair loss, it’s important to talk to your healthcare provider to understand what’s causing your hair loss, as well as what you can do about it.
Most types of alopecia can be diagnosed with a physical exam and hair pull test, allowing your healthcare provider to let you know what you can do to stop shedding and stimulate growth.
This could mean using evidence-based hair loss medications, such as finasteride or minoxidil, to protect your hair follicles from damage and promote a healthier hair growth cycle.
Alternatively, it might mean treating an underlying medical condition that’s affecting your scalp health and causing you to lose hair.
Not sure where to start? Our full guide to the best treatments for thinning hair goes into detail about your options.
You can also take part in an online hair loss consultation to find out more about what could be causing your hair loss, as well as your most effective treatment options.
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This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information contained herein is not a substitute for and should never be relied upon for professional medical advice. Always talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of any treatment. Learn more about our editorial standards here.
Dr. Knox Beasley is a board certified dermatologist specializing in hair loss. He completed his undergraduate studies at the United States Military Academy at West Point, NY, and subsequently attended medical school at Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans, LA.
Dr. Beasley first began doing telemedicine during his dermatology residency in 2013 with the military, helping to diagnose dermatologic conditions in soldiers all over the world.
Dr. Beasley is board certified by the American Board of Dermatology, and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology.
Originally from Nashville, TN, Dr. Beasley currently lives in North Carolina and enjoys spending time outdoors (with sunscreen of course) with his wife and two children in his spare time.
Bachelor of Science, Life Sciences. United States Military Academy.
Doctor of Medicine. Tulane University School of Medicine
Dermatology Residency. San Antonio Uniformed Services Health Education Consortium
Board Certified. American Board of Dermatology
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