Natural Medicine for Alopecia Areata

One of the most effective conservative approaches to male pattern hair loss is the drug minoxidil. Interest in minoxidil began with the observation that the oral form of this drug, which dilates blood vessels and is taken for high blood pressure, also caused hair regrowth and partially reversed baldness in some men. For baldness, a topical form of minoxidil is applied to areas of hair loss. But in less than 10% of men taking it achieve satisfactory results.

Another natural medicine for alopecia areata is the anti-androgenic drug finasteride. It restricts the enzyme 5-alpha reductase that transforms testosterone into dihydrotestosterone. This seems to be stimulating the growth of thicker, stronger, and darker hair. Both minoxidil and finasteride have some side effects. The immune system, which is a complex network of specialized organs, cells and cell products, is continually making antibodies to help our body get rid of substances it sees as "non-self," such as bacteria, viruses, infectious agents and even "worn out," damaged or mutant cells. When the immune system identifies an infection or allergen, it produces antibodies against the offending organism or substance so that it can be eliminated from the body. In autoimmune diseases, the immune system fails to distinguish between "self" and "nonself," and thus attacks its very own vital organs, systems, cells and tissues.

We have noted how important role the immune system plays in identifying and eliminating infectious cells in the body. It is also important to highlight the critical role this system plays in eliminating abnormal or mutant cell types, which may also arise. This function, also known as immune system surveillance, constitutes one of the body's major defenses against cancer.

The list of autoimmune diseases is very long and disturbing. In treating these diseases, modern medical practitioners focus more on relieving the symptoms and slowing the progression of the diseases. The main allopathic treatment used for most of the autoimmune conditions is Prednisone. This approach, at best, can just slow down the progression of the disease. In the long-term, Prednisone can cause a host of problems, including osteoporosis, immune suppression, weight gain, bloating, thin skin, easy bruising and many other troubling side effects. Prednisone is generally used because it helps control symptoms; but it does not address the etiology of the underlying condition.

The natural medicine approach to autoimmune diseases

In treating patients, natural medicine practitioners look for the cause of the problem and recommend therapies that address the source of the disease. This would involve giving the body what is missing and removing what's harmful.

While dealing with Alopecia Areata, natural medicine practitioners will treat the patient's hair loss with mesotherapy. This therapy tends to stimulate the mesoderm, or middle layer of skin, through injections into the scalp that encourage hair growth.

Since autoimmune diseases are caused by autoantibodies, the question we should ask is, "Why is this person making these antibodies?" Most of the experts in the natural medicine field believe that many of these autoantibodies are produced by the body in response to an infection or allergen. When the offending infection or allergen is removed, the production of these destructive autoantibodies comes to a stop.