Primary scarring alopecia occurs in 3.2% of people with alopecia.
In relation to the type of cells that destroy hair follicles, they are divided into:
Α. Lymphocytic
Β. Neutrophils
C. Mixed
The term Scarring Alopecia is used to describe a set of heterogeneous diseases which have as a common feature the destruction of the hair follicle and its replacement with scar tissue.
The damage that is caused results in permanent hair loss.
Scarring forms of hair loss account for about 7% of alopecia patients overall and can occur in otherwise healthy men and women of all ages.
On an individual basis, the incidence rate for each of the conditions that fall under the category of alopecia areata is extremely small.
In most cases hair loss takes the form of small spots that expand over time and which differ from the counterparts of alopecia areata by the roughness they show at the ends.
In some cases they are asymptomatic and develop gradually, while in others they develop rapidly and are accompanied by a burning sensation, itching or pain.
Affected areas may experience redness, scaling, reduced or increased pigmentation, pustules and fistulas.
Recent studies seem to trace the causes of alopecia areata to irreversible damage to the epithelial stem follicle cells (eHFSC), which are located at the site of “the bulge” of the hair follicle.
However, depending on the nature of the cause that causes this type of alopecia, we can distinguish between primary and secondary.
In the first case, the cause is endogenous, with the hair follicles being destroyed through some inflammatory process.
In the second case, the destruction of the hair follicle comes from an external factor such as a trauma, burn or neoplasia.
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