Commonly known as “ghost shaving”, it is a sudden onset of patchy baldness.
The cause is unknown and may be related to genetics, genetic mutations, decreased or disturbed cellular immune function, psychological factors, micronutrient deficiency, thyroid abnormalities, hypertension, and allergic constitution. It can be combined with other autoimmune diseases, such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, vitiligo, autoimmune hemolytic anemia, ulcerative colitis, lupus erythematosus, etc.; many people cannot find the causative factor; however, it is mostly considered an autoimmune disease.
According to the area and quantity of hair loss, it can be classified as limited baldness, diffuse baldness, total baldness, and general baldness (partial or total loss of hair, eyebrows, eyelashes, beard, axillary hair, pubic hair, and body hair).
Depending on the condition, an examination is needed to clarify the cause.
Treatment is more difficult and prone to recurrence. Treatment with Chinese herbal medicine, immune function improvement medicine, closure, UVAB light therapy, fractional laser + medicine guide, etc., usually takes 3-4 months to see the effect. (It takes more than 4 months for new hair to grow on the top of the head, later on the occipital area, and longer on both sides.) Some serious patients have poor results, and the treatment may start and stop, or suddenly worsen and relapse in the process of drug reduction, and acute patients or severe patients such as patients with alopecia areata need to use hormones to see the effect, and the course of the disease is prolonged. There are side effects with hormones, but it is difficult to get control without hormones; if you stop using hormones, you will have relapses and recurrence, if this is the case, some scholars suggest to stop treatment and wear wigs.