Young Man From Mumbai Recovers From Alopecia Areata with Homeopathy

Alopecia is a generalized term used for abnormal or increased hair fall, which may be from the scalp or facial hairs. Around 100 strands of hair from the overall body can be considered a normal case, and above that can be called a diseased condition or health ailment.

Types:

- Androgenic alopecia (Male pattern/female pattern baldness)

. Alopecia Areata

. Tenogen Effluvium

. Anagen Effluvium

. Cicatricial Alopecia

. Traction Alopecia

. Trichotillomania

. Alopecia Universalis

. Involutional Alopecia

. Tinea Capitis

. Hypotrichosis

Alopecia Areata:

One of the types of alopecia is alopecia areata, in which there is uncommon hair fall suddenly happening without any other ailment factors, and it can be diagnosed with small or medium-sized circular patches either in the scalp, beard, mustache, eyebrows, etc. These spots will feel soft when examined with fingers .

Alopecia areata is usually classified under the section of autoimmune diseases. In which there is inhibition in the growth of hair roots, and because of that, hair falls out from the particular area. The borders of these spots seem to get a cold feeling when examined by the back of the hand. It is very important to diagnose the condition and to do a hair pull test at the borderlines of the spot just to ensure the severity of the condition.

In Alopecia areata the hair roots remain dormant, and so by taking significant treatment, we are able to regrow the hair by stimulating the hair follicles, which are dormant.

Case details:

A male patient (Patient ID: 40430) visited the Life Force Homeopathy clinic on 17th June 2019 with the presenting complaint of having bald patches on the scalp and in the beard, which he had been suffering from for 2 years. The scalp had one moderate-sized patch in the left temporal area with slight scarring. The beard had 2-3 small-sized patches. The patient had taken steroidal injections, Inj. Tricort 10 mg, 2 years back and got a remission period of about one year. A relapse happened in April 2019, after which he had taken a steroidal injection again but did not get any relief. The patient had issues of generalized hair fall, receding of frontal hairlines, and loss of density in general. He had no history of any autoimmune diseases in the family, and neither had anyone with similar issues among the family members.

The progression of the disease was quite slow and was spreading very slowly.

He had associated complaints like allergic rhinitis on and off since childhood, which got aggravated by bananas, dust exposure, and climate changes. He usually got this controlled by taking antihistamines and sometimes antibiotics.

The patient was a pure vegetarian with an average appetite. He did not like sweets much and had excessive thirst, with a water intake of 3-4 liters of water per day. The patient was generally a chilly patient.

Bowels were satisfactory, and no gastric issues were mentioned. He was getting good sleep.

The patient was working in the Navy (Government sector). He had done blood tests — thyroid profile and vitamin levels — in which Vitamin D and Vitamin B12 levels were less than optimal, and he was prescribed supplements for the same.

The current allopathic medicines used were Tacrolimus (steroidal) ointment for 2 months and Zinc supplements for 2 months. The patient was advised to stop the steroidal medicines by tapering the dosage in the coming months to reduce steroidal side effects.

The case was thoroughly studied by Dr. Rajesh Shah, and medicines were prescribed for the first 2 months.

Follow-ups:

By 29 August 2019, after taking the first dose of medicines for about 2 months, the patches on the scalp and beard seemed to be stable, and there was no further spread. The size of the spots remained the same.

By 23 November 2019, the hair fall from the patches and border areas completely stopped, and hair regrowth slightly started, which was more on the scalp patches, and beard patches showed some significant improvement.

By 25th January 2020, the condition was stable with no new patches on the scalp or beard, and there was not much improvement from the last two months, but the condition remained stable.

By 22nd April 2020, there was overall improvement with growth of hair in the spots, but there was a slight spread in the scalp spots, especially those at the backside. The spots on the beard seemed stable in the pictures, even though the patient said there was not much improvement and there was a slight spread. Allergic rhinitis was also getting better, with no episodes in many months.

By 10th October 2020, the patient reported overall improvement of all the spots and mentioned about 90% relief of the complaint. The spots in the scalp and beard had completely disappeared, and he had normal hair growth. The patient was relieved and happy about the treatment. Now the patient''''s main concern was about the receding of frontal hairlines.

Conclusion:

Homeopathy plays a very significant role in treating autoimmune diseases by addressing the root cause. In the case of alopecia areata, homeopathy effectively contributes to managing the condition and promoting hair regrowth. It offers a long-term remission period, ensuring no relapses, and achieves this without any side effects. This holistic approach highlights the potential of homeopathy in treating chronic conditions like alopecia areata, providing lasting benefits and improving the patient''s overall well-being.

• Case study written By Dr. Vinay Ram C, an associate doctor to Dr.Rajesh Shah, MD (Hom)