What is Alopecia?

Описание: Lee Health Family Medicine Physician Dr. Ravi Ramaswami said Alopecia is a general term for hair loss, but it can come in many forms. “There’s one called Alopecia Areata where there’s patchy coin like hair loss, which is an auto immune disorder…Alopecia Totalis where people lose the hair from their scalp completely…Alopecia Universalis where the complete body hair disappears.”

It’s quite common, affecting millions of people in the US every year. While it’s not life threatening, it can take a toll on people’s mental health. “It somehow seems unnatural, and most unfortunately it is not within their control,” said Dr. Ramaswami.

In most cases, the condition runs in the family. “Other times it can be genetic. In some cases, it’s because the hair follicles don’t work properly,” said Dr. Ramaswami.

While different treatments are available, Dr. Ramaswami said they may not work for everyone, “Some of them do result in patchy hair growth, but very rarely are you going to have long and flowing hair.” If you start to experience sudden hair loss, it’s best you see your primary care provider.


View More Health Matters video segments at LeeHealth.org/Healthmatters/


Lee Health in Fort Myers, FL is the largest network of health care facilities in Southwest Florida and is highly respected for its expertise, innovation and quality of care. For more than 100 years, we’ve been providing our community with personalized preventative health services and primary care to highly specialized care services and robotic assisted surgeries. Lee Health - Caring People. Inspiring Care.


Visit LeeHealth.org