Scars or other external injuries to the scalp may form a hair-loss condition known as scarring alopecia---cicatricial alopecia. This form of hair loss can occur from a cut in the scalp, a deep scratch or even from a bad case of chicken pox or ring worm. Any injury or infection of the scalp that results in a scar can cause this condition.
What is Scarring Alopecia?
Alopecia is a blanket term for hair loss. Scarring alopecia, or cicatricial alopecia, occurs when the hair follicle is destroyed and replaced with scar tissue. Scarring alopecia affects both men and women and people of all ages. In some cases, cicatricial alopecia forms slowly over time and in other cases it may occur immediately following the scalp injury.
Types
Cicatricial alopecia comes in two forms: primary and secondary. Primary cicatricial alopecia occurs when the hair follicle is the target of the inflammatory process and secondary cicatricial alopecia occurs when there is an external injury, burn, radiation, tumor or severe infection, as stated by the Cicatricial Alopecia Research Foundation.
Symptoms of Scarring Alopecia
Symptoms of cicatricial alopecia are itching, burning, pain and tenderness of the scalp. Additional symptoms may include redness, scaling and pustles. In some cases, symptoms are not visible and a person may just experience hair loss. In this case, a biopsy is needed to determine whether the hair loss is related to follicular damage. A dermatologist may want to administer a "pull test" to see how easily the hairs come out of the follicle. These hairs are then placed under a microscope to see if any microbes are present.
Causes
Scarring alopecia can form from using chemical relaxers, perms, hair color that contains bleach or having a scalp infection that causes scarring. Products such as chemical relaxers change the structure of the hair, which may also cause other forms of alopecia such as alopecia areata---spotty hair loss---or telogen effluvium---widespread hair thinning or loss. When something causes the scalp to become scarred, the hair falls out of the follicle and follicle is filled with scar tissue. This causes the follicle to close off, and hair loss in this situation is permanent.
Treatments
Once the hair follicle is destroyed scar tissue, hair growth will not resume from that follicle. However the follicles surrounding the area of hair loss can be treated with minoxidil solution, Rogaine. Rogaine is to be applied to the affected area twice a day. This product can be purchased over the counter. Hair care products for dry or damaged hair can also be used to slow the progression of hair loss.
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