Hair loss is a great topic of concern for many of us.
Everyone faces the problem of hair loss at some point of time in life. Sometimes it might be natural, like that due to old age and pregnancy. Other times, it might be due to stress, diet, or disease.
While there is nothing we can do about hair loss due to old age, there is a lot that we can do in case of disease-related hair loss.
Curing the disease will cure hair loss in most cases.
Although seeing our hair fall all over the place might be alarming, you do not have to be concerned about it if the number of hair you lose daily is around 50-100.
This is considered a normal part of the hair cycle.
Believe me, you will know when it exceeds the normal!
In this article, I will talk about 5 infections that are capable of causing more than normal hair loss. Fortunately, they are equally capable of getting treated too.
1. Ringworm
Before you assume anything: Nope. It’s got nothing to do with a worm.
It’s just a disease called Tinea. Ringworm is the name given to it due to its appearance.
It is caused by the fungi Microsporum, Trichophyton, and Epidermophyton.
Ringworm is one of the most common fungal infections that humans suffer from. It can affect different parts of the body.
You must be familiar with the commonest types affecting the foot, called Tinea pedis (Athlete’s foot) and groin, called Tinea cruris (Jock’s itch). When it infects the scalp, it is called Tinea capitis.
The infection starts small, then grows into a larger, scaly, and dry circle. It looks reddish around the border (like a ring), while the inner skin is relatively pale-looking.
Ringworm is very itchy, so the person suffering from it will be found scratching the scalp frequently and rigorously.
The fungus affects the hair fibers and makes them dry and brittle, which eventually fall off leading to a bald patch.
It is transmitted by contact. So, it is always good to make a habit of not sharing our brushes or combs with other people, especially if you happen to live in hostels or dorms.
Treatment with antifungals like griseofulvin, terbinafine, and itraconazole are effective.
2. Dermatitis
Whenever you see something with an ‘-itis’ at the end, you can take it as an inflammatory condition that is usually associated with redness, pain, and swelling.
So ‘Dermatitis’ here, means inflammation of the skin.
In this case, the scalp.
This inflammation does not involve the entire scalp all at once, but parts of it.
It is also called Seborrheic eczema and has features of painful and itchy inflamed skin which can sometimes be oily or scaly and cause hair loss.
It has a genetic association, but can also be triggered by conditions like puberty, stress, stroke, or head injuries.
The excess oil and sebum promote the growth of the fungi Pityrosporon that causes more inflammation.
This does not directly affect the hair follicles, but the local inflammation hinders hair growth. Hence, it causes an overall thinning of hair on the scalp.
The treatment comprises medicated anti-dandruff shampoos containing Ketoconazole or shampoos with substances like sulphur, selenium, salicylic acid, etc.
3. Folliculitis
This is an inflammatory condition of the hair follicles of the skin (or in this case, scalp), caused either by bacteria or by clogging of pores with oil and grease. The commonly encountered ones are due to the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus. Another notorious bacteria called Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which is usually present in chlorinated water, is also responsible for some forms of folliculitis. The hair follicles are swollen and red that eventually makes the hair fall out. This is a very painful condition.
Severe infections might lead to permanent hair loss due to scarring.
Folliculitis is inflammation of hair follicles and the area surrounding them. It may not present with pus.
Treatment includes topical antibiotics like neomycin or bacitracin. For severe infections, your doctor might prescribe you oral antibiotics like erythromycin.
4. Furuncles and Carbuncles
That awfully big and painful pimple from when we were in high school? Yes!
We all remember that, don’t we?
These are very commonly occurring similar conditions involving the skin, that most of us have suffered from at least once or twice in our lifetime. These can appear anywhere on the skin. Most commonly on the inner aspects of thighs or arms, buttocks, and face. They are also caused by the same bacteria that cause folliculitis.
Furuncles, commonly called boils, are pus-filled pockets that involve the superficial layers of skin. Carbuncles, on the other hand, are clusters of furuncles combined through deeper layers of skin. They are commonly called abscesses, which involve the deeper layers of the skin and subcutaneous tissue. You can think of it as the big brother of a furuncle.
They are bigger and more painful than the furuncles. Hence, the ‘big brother’.
Hair fall in this condition is not directly caused by the infection, but due to the local inflammation and irritation that interferes with the hair growth, making the hair follicles weak. Growth resumes once the infection subsides and the hair follicles and surrounding scalp heals.
Treatment includes topical, but mostly, oral antibiotics. But this is not sufficient. Most cases require incision and drainage to remove the pus or the fluid inside the boil or abscess.
5. Syphilis
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease caused by the bacteria Treponema pallidum.
This disease presents in different stages i.e, Primary, Secondary, Tertiary, according to the severity and the organ involvement. Hair loss is seen in the secondary stage of the disease due to the skin lesions formed on the scalp. These itchy lesions damage the hair shaft and follicles and disturb the hair growth cycle.
Hair loss due to syphilis is called syphilitic alopecia.
Talking about hair loss in syphilis, it can be of two main types:
● Symptomatic Syphilitic Alopecia- Hair loss due to skin lesions on the head.
● Essential Syphilitic Alopecia- Hair loss even when no skin lesions can be found on the head. It can again be of three types:
- Moth-eaten alopecia: presents as patches of hair loss all around the head
- General thinning of hair: hair thinning without any pattern
- Combination of both moth-eaten alopecia and general thinning of hair, which also occurs in other parts of the body like eyebrows, beard, pubic area.
Treatment of the bacterial infection with antibiotics will re-enable the hair growth. In rare cases, if there is severe damage to the hair follicles, the hair growth might be permanently stopped.
An effective treatment that is widely being used for different causes of hair loss is Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy. This can also be used for the treatment of hair loss due to syphilis.
Bottom line:
It is best to consult a doctor as early as possible if you have any symptoms of scalp infections. The earlier the treatment starts, the better.
Sometimes, if the infection progresses rapidly, it might take a serious turn and damage the scalp severely. This will cause scarring in your scalp tissue and you might have permanent hair loss in that area.
To protect yourself from such infections, eat healthily and live hygienically.
Everyone faces the problem of hair loss at some point of time in life. Sometimes it might be natural, like that due to old age and pregnancy. Other times, it might be due to stress, diet, or disease.
While there is nothing we can do about hair loss due to old age, there is a lot that we can do in case of disease-related hair loss.
Curing the disease will cure hair loss in most cases.
Although seeing our hair fall all over the place might be alarming, you do not have to be concerned about it if the number of hair you lose daily is around 50-100.
This is considered a normal part of the hair cycle.
Believe me, you will know when it exceeds the normal!
In this article, I will talk about 5 infections that are capable of causing more than normal hair loss. Fortunately, they are equally capable of getting treated too.
1. Ringworm
Before you assume anything: Nope. It’s got nothing to do with a worm.
It’s just a disease called Tinea. Ringworm is the name given to it due to its appearance.
It is caused by the fungi Microsporum, Trichophyton, and Epidermophyton.
Ringworm is one of the most common fungal infections that humans suffer from. It can affect different parts of the body.
You must be familiar with the commonest types affecting the foot, called Tinea pedis (Athlete’s foot) and groin, called Tinea cruris (Jock’s itch). When it infects the scalp, it is called Tinea capitis.
The infection starts small, then grows into a larger, scaly, and dry circle. It looks reddish around the border (like a ring), while the inner skin is relatively pale-looking.
Ringworm is very itchy, so the person suffering from it will be found scratching the scalp frequently and rigorously.
The fungus affects the hair fibers and makes them dry and brittle, which eventually fall off leading to a bald patch.
It is transmitted by contact. So, it is always good to make a habit of not sharing our brushes or combs with other people, especially if you happen to live in hostels or dorms.
Treatment with antifungals like griseofulvin, terbinafine, and itraconazole are effective.
2. Dermatitis
Whenever you see something with an ‘-itis’ at the end, you can take it as an inflammatory condition that is usually associated with redness, pain, and swelling.
So ‘Dermatitis’ here, means inflammation of the skin.
In this case, the scalp.
This inflammation does not involve the entire scalp all at once, but parts of it.
It is also called Seborrheic eczema and has features of painful and itchy inflamed skin which can sometimes be oily or scaly and cause hair loss.
It has a genetic association, but can also be triggered by conditions like puberty, stress, stroke, or head injuries.
The excess oil and sebum promote the growth of the fungi Pityrosporon that causes more inflammation.
This does not directly affect the hair follicles, but the local inflammation hinders hair growth. Hence, it causes an overall thinning of hair on the scalp.
The treatment comprises medicated anti-dandruff shampoos containing Ketoconazole or shampoos with substances like sulphur, selenium, salicylic acid, etc.
3. Folliculitis
This is an inflammatory condition of the hair follicles of the skin (or in this case, scalp), caused either by bacteria or by clogging of pores with oil and grease. The commonly encountered ones are due to the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus. Another notorious bacteria called Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which is usually present in chlorinated water, is also responsible for some forms of folliculitis. The hair follicles are swollen and red that eventually makes the hair fall out. This is a very painful condition.
Severe infections might lead to permanent hair loss due to scarring.
Folliculitis is inflammation of hair follicles and the area surrounding them. It may not present with pus.
Treatment includes topical antibiotics like neomycin or bacitracin. For severe infections, your doctor might prescribe you oral antibiotics like erythromycin.
4. Furuncles and Carbuncles
That awfully big and painful pimple from when we were in high school? Yes!
We all remember that, don’t we?
These are very commonly occurring similar conditions involving the skin, that most of us have suffered from at least once or twice in our lifetime. These can appear anywhere on the skin. Most commonly on the inner aspects of thighs or arms, buttocks, and face. They are also caused by the same bacteria that cause folliculitis.
Furuncles, commonly called boils, are pus-filled pockets that involve the superficial layers of skin. Carbuncles, on the other hand, are clusters of furuncles combined through deeper layers of skin. They are commonly called abscesses, which involve the deeper layers of the skin and subcutaneous tissue. You can think of it as the big brother of a furuncle.
They are bigger and more painful than the furuncles. Hence, the ‘big brother’.
Hair fall in this condition is not directly caused by the infection, but due to the local inflammation and irritation that interferes with the hair growth, making the hair follicles weak. Growth resumes once the infection subsides and the hair follicles and surrounding scalp heals.
Treatment includes topical, but mostly, oral antibiotics. But this is not sufficient. Most cases require incision and drainage to remove the pus or the fluid inside the boil or abscess.
5. Syphilis
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease caused by the bacteria Treponema pallidum.
This disease presents in different stages i.e, Primary, Secondary, Tertiary, according to the severity and the organ involvement. Hair loss is seen in the secondary stage of the disease due to the skin lesions formed on the scalp. These itchy lesions damage the hair shaft and follicles and disturb the hair growth cycle.
Hair loss due to syphilis is called syphilitic alopecia.
Talking about hair loss in syphilis, it can be of two main types:
● Symptomatic Syphilitic Alopecia- Hair loss due to skin lesions on the head.
● Essential Syphilitic Alopecia- Hair loss even when no skin lesions can be found on the head. It can again be of three types:
- Moth-eaten alopecia: presents as patches of hair loss all around the head
- General thinning of hair: hair thinning without any pattern
- Combination of both moth-eaten alopecia and general thinning of hair, which also occurs in other parts of the body like eyebrows, beard, pubic area.
Treatment of the bacterial infection with antibiotics will re-enable the hair growth. In rare cases, if there is severe damage to the hair follicles, the hair growth might be permanently stopped.
An effective treatment that is widely being used for different causes of hair loss is Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy. This can also be used for the treatment of hair loss due to syphilis.
Bottom line:
It is best to consult a doctor as early as possible if you have any symptoms of scalp infections. The earlier the treatment starts, the better.
Sometimes, if the infection progresses rapidly, it might take a serious turn and damage the scalp severely. This will cause scarring in your scalp tissue and you might have permanent hair loss in that area.
To protect yourself from such infections, eat healthily and live hygienically.