Ringworm Affects Young People Most Often

Alopecia, which has recently been heard as the disease of Will Smith's wife and also known as ringworm among the people, is among the most common health problems. Stating that the lifetime risk of encountering alopecia areata in the community is 2%, Anadolu Health Center Dermatology Specialist Dr. Kübra Esen Salman, “Alopecia areata is a disease characterized by sudden onset, non-permanent hair loss that can be seen in hair, beard, mustache, eyebrows, eyelashes and sometimes on the chest, back, legs and arms. Contrary to popular belief, it is not contagious. The frequency of alopecia is 100 per 20 thousand people. The most common age is between 25-36.

Anadolu Health Center Dermatology Specialist, who said that hair and hair loss can be seen as oval/circular, mesh-shaped, covering a large area in the nape area, or loss of eyebrows and eyelashes. Kübra Esen Salman, “Sometimes we call Alopecia totalis; in the form of hair loss on the whole face and scalp or called Alopecia universalis; It can be seen as the loss of all hair and body hair. There may also be changes in the nails," he said.

Affects young people more

Underlining that although the cause of alopecia areata is not known exactly, the rate of encountering alopecia areata problem in those with a family history is high, Dermatology Specialist Dr. Kübra Esen Salman said, “Autoimmune diseases appear as diseases that occur as a result of the person's own immune system losing its tolerance towards its own tissues. It is usually seen in young people. It can be associated with other autoimmune diseases such as vitiligo, atopic dermatitis, autoimmune thyroid diseases, rheumatological diseases such as lupus, diabetes and pernicious anemia.

Treatment depends on the extent of the disease and the age of the patient.

Stating that the treatment varies according to the extent and duration of the disease, the age of the patient, pregnancy and breastfeeding status in women, Dr. Kübra Esen Salman said, “Although ringworm is a self-healing disease, it needs to be treated due to its social and psychological effects. In treatment; topical treatments, ie cream/spray treatments with or without cortisone, some hair follicle stimulating creams or magistral solutions can be applied. Topical immunotherapy solutions can also be applied in case of widespread disease in which more than 50 percent of the scalp is involved.

Reminding that light treatments such as PUVA and UVB can also be used in suitable patients, Dr. Kübra Esen Salman said, “In case of disease that does not respond to topical treatments, injections or oral drug treatments can also be applied. In appropriate patients, cortisone injections can be made in the problem areas at appropriate doses. Apart from this, hair loss treatments such as PRP and mesotherapy can support the treatment in alopecia areata.

There is no treatment to prevent alopecia.

Saying that alopecia areata is a sudden onset hair disease, Dermatology Specialist Dr. Kübra Esen Salman said, “There is no treatment to prevent ringworm. However, since its relationship with stress is known, we recommend patients to consult a dermatologist to stay away from stress, to seek professional support in case of unmanageable stress, to accelerate new hair growth and to treat alopecia areata.