Alopecia

What is alopecia

Alopecia is defined as a significant thinning of the hair or hair follicles, i.e. the cavities, inside the dermis, from which the hair is generated.

This pathology can be gradual, from the top of the forehead towards the center of the head, with the appearance of patchy baldness, or it can have a sudden onset. Sometimes, it is associated with loss of hair follicles in other parts of the face and body as well.

Types of alopecia

Alopecia must be distinguished from cicatricial alopecia, an irreversible form in which hair loss is due to the atrophy of the hair follicles, and non-cicatricial alopecia. Usually temporary, the latter is caused by processes that reduce or slow down hair growth without irreparably damaging the follicle.

Causes of alopecia

The causes can be:

• genetics
• hormonal (thyroiditis or various dysfunctions)
• nutritional (nutritional deficiencies, anorexia)
• chemical-pharmacological (undergoing chemotherapy, taking antidepressants, etc.)
• psychological (prolonged periods of stress, depression, trauma)

Types of androgenetic alopecia

Among the various types of alopecia, androgenetic alopecia, also called baldness, is certainly the most common, with an incidence of 80% in men and 50% in women, and an exponential increase in cases generally proportional to age.

Treatments for alopecia

In the field of aesthetic medicine, one of the most effective procedures against androgenetic alopecia is hair filler, a product based on hyaluronic acid and biomimetic peptides that, injected into the area to be treated, regenerates the skin.
The hair transplantation treatment performed at Image Regenerative Clinic is also effective in hair thinning following chemotherapy, with a marked improvement in the situation already after one or two cycles of hair filler.
To solve alopecia, the Image Regenerative Clinic team performs an innovative transplant with a method derived from reconstructive surgery, initially used in burn patients.
With this method, over 80% of the donor follicular units are preserved and the same area can be used for future hair transplants.

This is the main advantage of the innovative technique used in Image Regenerative Clinic: thanks to the preservation of the donor area, it is possible to have a perfect final result.
This goal is often impossible with traditional techniques, where in the most severe cases, over time, there may not be enough hair to transplant.