Chemicals such as Diphencyprone (DPCP) or Squaric acid Dibutyl ester (SADBE) are applied to the scalp. The theory behind this method is based on the general knowledge that hair can be stimulated into growth sometimes, simply by irritating the follicles. The standard method of treatment is Topical Immunotherapy, which involves producing an allergic reaction with irritants placed onto the skin. Some swear by aromatherapy, but there is little or no evidence to support that it works. Legitimate Alopecia Universalis Treatments If they truly worked, the whole world would know about them. Please be a cautious and skeptical consumer, as the chances of these treatments being legitimate are a million to one. In our research, we have happened upon several web sites on the Internet which claim (even with photographs) that they’ve regrown a full head of hair for AU patients. It is important to beware of the many companies out there claiming they can regrow hair for those with AU. A mutation was found to be present in the “hairless” genes of all the affected individuals in the family that was studied. It appears to encode a zinc-finger transcription factor. (The brain function of the gene is not known). In humans and mice, this gene is expressed in the skin and brain. This identified a cDNA sequence which gave them the coding sequence of the human “hairless” gene. They then used these primers on cDNA made from the mRNA of human skin fibroblasts. They cloned the mouse hairless gene and used the mouse sequence to make PCR primers. Fortunately, there were several examples of alopecia in mice. They found a marker at the location 8p12, consistent in all 7 subjects, but were unable to determine exactly which gene was at this location.Īs a result, they hypothesized that there may be a genetic similarity in hairless mice which might match the one they found in the humans. Researchers analyzed the chromosomes of all 7 individuals with AU to detect genetic similarities. They also never developed underarm or pubic hair. The subjects were born without eyebrows or eyelashes and never developed them. Researchers established that there were no other inflammatory conditions present to inhibit hair growth. Of the follicles present, few contained hair shafts. The afflicted children in the family showed no other health problems however, skin biopsies from their scalps showed very few hair follicles. Ahmad and his team of colleagues studied a family in which alopecia universalis was present in three consecutive generations. However, it is not possible to predict when regrowth will occur. Regrowth is always a possibility, even for those with 100% hair loss over many years. Alopecia Universalis may be acute and short-lived or remain permanently. Symptoms in the nails can range from pinprick-like indentations to severe distortion of the entire nail. Aside from genetic tendencies, the contributing causes of Alopecia Universalis are not known.Īs lack of body hair leaves areas like the scalp, eyes and nasal cavity particularly vulnerable, it is important that those with Alopecia Universalis take extra care to protect themselves from the sun, bacteria and other potentially harmful elements.įingernails and toenails can also be affected. Unfortunately, there have not been enough studies to verify that this is true of all those afflicted. Based on the known research, we can safely assume that only individuals with this rare and severe form of alopecia areata carry the gene. Is the “hairless” gene only found in people with alopecia universalis? Most likely. It is caused by a mutation in a gene dubbed HR in chromosome band 8p21.2 - the human version of the gene that is responsible for hairlessness in mice. The disorder is inherited as an autosomal recessive trait. Many individuals with Alopecia Universalis are born with some hair but begin losing it very quickly. Those with vitiligo may eventually develop AU over time. Normally, sufferers are otherwise healthy, but are more likely than the general population to experience thyroid disease and vitiligo (patchy loss of skin color). A member of the group of hair loss conditions called Alopecia Areata, the only difference between Alopecia Universalis and its variants is the extent of hair loss. The most advanced form in a series of conditions all related to the same disease, Alopecia Universalis (AU) is characterized by total a loss of body hair.
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