Types of Alopecia and Hair Loss

Types of Alopecia and Hair Loss

"Alopecia" is an umbrella. The types differ in cause, course, and treatment - so naming yours correctly is half the battle.

Non-Scarring Types (Follicles Alive)

• Androgenetic alopecia: pattern baldness, men and women; hormonal-genetic; gradual
• Telogen effluvium: diffuse shedding after bodily stress; usually self-reversing within 3-6 months
• Alopecia areata: autoimmune patches; spectrum ranges from one patch to total scalp loss (totalis) or all body hair (universalis)
• Tinea capitis: fungal; scaly broken-hair patches, mainly in children
• Traction alopecia: from tight hairstyles and head coverings worn tight for years
• Anagen effluvium: rapid loss from chemotherapy; regrows after treatment ends

Scarring Types (Follicles Destroyed)

Lichen planopilaris, discoid lupus, and similar inflammatory conditions permanently destroy follicles - early dermatology care is the only way to save what's left. Any shiny, smooth, inflamed scalp area with lost pores belongs in a specialist's hands quickly, per NHS hair loss guidance.

The Classical Types

The classical triad:

• Khalitya: gradual progressive thinning - the closest classical analogue to pattern baldness, classified by dominant dosha (Vataja: dry rough scalp; Pittaja: burning, yellowish tinge, the most common per the texts; Kaphaja: thick, sticky, itchy)
• Indralupta: sudden patchy loss - the classical analogue of alopecia areata; Sushruta specifically prescribes scarification and leeching for it, signalling it was seen as a distinct, deeper disorder
• Palitya: premature greying, discussed in the same chapter-family

The classification insight that survives: not all hair loss is one disease. The texts treated gradual thinning and sudden patches as different problems needing different interventions - exactly what modern dermatology does.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which type is most common? Pattern baldness by far - followed by telogen effluvium (especially post-illness and postpartum in India).

Is alopecia areata contagious? No. It is autoimmune - your own immune system, not an infection.

Can type change over time? Telogen effluvium resolves; pattern baldness progresses; areata can wax, wane, or (rarely) expand. Type itself rarely converts.

Do the classical types map to modern ones? Loosely - Khalitya to gradual thinning, Indralupta to patchy loss. The mapping is useful for conversation with a vaidya, not for self-diagnosis.