There is an autoimmune disease that causes bald patches on facial hair—alopecia barbae. It is a disorder that causes hair loss, usually in patches, on your scalp or beard.
Generally, the bald patches appear suddenly, and it can diminish in a few months itself. On the other hand, you may experience this problem longer, and it can turn into total baldness. Or you can even lose all of your body hair.
Causes of Alopecia Barbae
The main reason for alopecia barbae is that your immune system cells start to attack the healthy hair follicles and make your hair fall out. In most cases, the bald skin looks smooth and completely normal, showing no other sign of symptoms such as itchiness or red spots. Of course, this does not happen out of the blue. There are some triggers that start alopecia barbae.
Unfortunately, alopecia barbae is genetic. If you have a relative experiencing this disease, it is a high possibility that you will experience it too before the age of thirty. Also, you may develop alopecia barbae if you have other certain diseases, such as the following:
- asthma
- vitiligo
- thyroid disease
It is best first to identify if there is an underlying condition that is causing the hair loss.
Treatment
Thankfully, most cases of alopecia barbae can get better without treatment. However, the bald patches may get larger over time, or they may turn into total baldness. In that case, you may try some of these treatments.
1. Steroid
Steroid injections may be a solution if you have small- or medium-sized bald patches on your beard. Steroid suppresses the immune system cells locally and may promote hair growth. The success rate is not high when it comes to steroid injections, though, so they may not work.
2. Minoxidil
Doctors usually prescribe minoxidil for male pattern baldness. Gently rubbing minoxidil on the bald area may work on your beard too. However, if you have certain conditions, you may not be able to use minoxidil. You should consult your doctor before you start any kind of medication.
3. Dermatography
Dermatography, basically a tattoo, may also hide your bald patch. If you want to cut your beard completely at one point, you won’t be able to erase your tattoo, which makes it a bad idea.
4. Beard Hair Transplant
When all is said and done, the most permanent solution for lost beard hair may be the beard hair transplant. You can simply undergo this operation in two or three hours and get your thicker, fuller beard back.
In the end, alopecia barbae has many different solutions, some of them may work on you, and some may not. It depends on your situation. The best thing you can do in case of any kind of hair loss is to consult an experienced doctor and discuss the treatment options with him. Contact us if you need assistance in understanding and treating your hair loss.