What Is Alopecia Barbae? Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments?

Alopecia barbae is a hair loss condition that affects the beard on men’s cheeks, mouth, chin, and neck area. A person’s body attacks the hair follicles on the beard area, thus leading to patchy hair loss. It is why the condition is known to be autoimmune.

Let us see some of the causes, symptoms, and treatments for alopecia barbae.

Causes of Alopecia Barbae

Although the exact causes for alopecia barbae are unknown, below are some factors that can make one suffer from this condition.

1.Physical and psychological stress makes the immune system mistakenly attack the cells responsible for the growth of hair follicles, thus leading to hair loss in patches in the beard area.

2. Hereditary or genes where a person becomes a victim of alopecia barbae because they share specific genes from the members of the family who had the same condition.

3. Skin conditions can also cause alopecia barbae. For example, conditions like eczema make the skin patches itchy, rough, inflamed, and cracked.

4. Autoimmune diseases cause Alopecia Barbae by weakening the cells responsible for the growth of hair follicles. For example, thyroid diseases can lead to the condition.

5. Some disorders related to chromosomes can also cause alopecia barbae. e.g., the down syndrome

6. Less vitamin D in the body can affect immune health, leading to alopecia barbae.

7. Hay fever and asthma can also cause alopecia barbae.

Symptoms of Alopecia Barbae

Below are the common symptoms of alopecia barbae besides unexpected falling of the beard hair.

1.Bald spots may appear on the beard area.

2. One may have bald patches in small circular patches, sometimes known as patchy mustaches.

3. Before the hair begins to fall out, you can have itchy, painful, and rough skin. The skin usually appears to be smooth, although it is always rough.

4. At the bald spot area, there may be irritation, redness, and swelling of the area in some patients.

5. The hairs covering the border or edges of the patches may change from black to white.

6. The hairs around the bottom may grow in the bald patches at times.

Treatments for Alopecia Barbae

The doctors have not yet found the cure for alopecia barbae. However, there are some treatments that one can use to control the symptoms and regrow their hair back, although the regrown hair nightfall again or grow partially.

The age, type of treatment, the number of hair loss, and other individual factors will determine which results in a person will obtain. The treatments usually help in stimulating hair growth and preventing the attack by the immune system.

The suitable treatments are as follows;

1. Medications

Medications that can help in treating alopecia barbae are;

i)Minoxidil; Is a drug available over the counter for baldness treatment, and it comes in solution and foam forms. You should apply it to the affected area twice a day without skipping any day for you to obtain positive results in three to six months.

ii) Corticosteroids; You can take the drugs as shots or topically. The doctor recommends anti-inflammatory drugs that help improve the immune system, especially when you inject them into the affected area for one to two months.

iii) Anthralin; Is also a perfect medication for alopecia barbae. In some cases, it usually treats other diseases such as psoriasis. One should apply this ointment drug on the affected area and give it thirty minutes to dissolve and settle well, after which you should wash it off. This is done once a day.

You may feel some skin irritations after the application, indicating that the drug is stimulating hair growth on the affected area. You can use it with minoxidil for better results, and the results are always visible within two to three months of usage.

iv) Diphencyprone ( DPCP); May help keep the hair follicles active and reduce inflammation by tricking the immune system, sending white blood cells into the skin surface.

One should apply on the patches, and it may cause itchiness, redness, and swelling of the affected area due to allergic reaction to the area. The results may be visible after twelve weeks.

2. Home Remedies

There are home remedies one can use to control or treat alopecia barbae. They include;

i)Garlic; The garlic’s natural healing property helps in improving alopecia barbae symptoms. A study that took place in 2007 recorded the effectiveness of garlic gel in alopecia areata treatment. 

Those who used the gel together with corticosteroid cream obtained improved results than those who only used corticosteroid cream. 

ii) Zinc and biotin supplements; Eating a well-balanced diet that includes vitamins and minerals helps promote hair growth. Including supplements like zinc and biotin can help in preventing further hair loss and promoting hair growth.

Professionals at Cleveland clinic advise one to take mega- B vitamins, including 3 milligrams of biotin, 30 milligrams of zinc, 200 milligrams of vitamin C, and less than 1 milligram of folic acid.

iii) Viviscal; People with thinning hair should take it for six months to treat alopecia barbae by producing new cells responsible for hair growth and strengthening existing ones. It carries marine extracts which are always natural supplements.

3. Having a healthy lifestyle

This can also be a better way of treating alopecia barbae since the condition may have a mental and emotional effect on the patient. It would be best if you did physical exercise regularly, meditate, practice yoga, among others, to ensure that you are living healthy.

Conclusion

Like other hair loss conditions, alopecia barbae may reduce one’s confidence and be associated with mental health. You can consult the therapist to help you out if you are a victim of the same. Other mentioned treatments are also ideal in treating alopecia barbae.