Beard hair loss can be caused by trauma, medication, stress, or alopecia areata, an autoimmune disease that attacks hair follicles. Treatment focuses on promoting hair growth, but there is no cure for baldness. Corticosteroids and topical creams can help, but recurring hair loss is possible.
Beard hair loss is a fairly common condition that can be initiated by several factors, including trauma, certain drug therapies, or significant stress in one’s life. The most common cause is a medical condition known as alopecia areata or simply alopecia. Associated with a change in the body’s hormonal balance, alopecia can affect hair anywhere on the body. Treatment for beard hair loss usually focuses on promoting hair growth, especially since there is no cure for baldness that affects any part of the body.
Individuals who have experienced facial trauma, particularly to the jaw and chin, may experience beard hair loss. Significant trauma can permanently damage hair follicles contributing to an inability to grow hair. Regular use of some medications, such as anticancer drugs, can cause facial hair loss. Extreme stress can also contribute to temporary facial hair loss. Cases of recurring beard hair loss, however, are usually related to alopecia.
As with any suspected case of alopecia, several tests may be performed to confirm a diagnosis. Men experiencing beard loss are asked to offer a thorough medical history and undergo a complete physical exam. Depending on the severity of the hair loss, a skin culture and hair samples may be taken for laboratory analysis. It’s not uncommon for some men to get tested to rule out conditions that may contribute to beard or hair loss. A skin biopsy is often done to confirm a diagnosis of alopecia areata.
Classified as an autoimmune disease, the cause of the onset of alopecia areata is not known. With this form of alopecia, the immune system attacks the body’s hair follicles. Since the condition is not confined to one central location, patchy hair loss can occur anywhere on the body, including the face. It is speculated that genetics may play a role in triggering the overactive immunological response. If hair loss occurs all over the body, the condition is known as alopecia universalis.
Beard hair loss can be subtle at first. As alopecia areata progresses, hair loss becomes more noticeable and occurs in patches. The size and shape of the remaining patch is entirely dependent on the extent of the hair loss. Some men who normally have strong nails may even exhibit dull, brittle nails before significant hair loss from their beards.
In most cases, corticosteroid medications are given to inhibit the activity of the immune system and reduce beard hair loss. While suppressing your immunity will help curb hair loss, it won’t stop or cure it. Topical creams can be applied to the affected area to promote hair growth. It is important for those who have lost beard hair to alopecia to understand that even if facial hair grows back, recurring hair loss is a very real possibility. Although some of the lost beard hair may come back, permanent hair loss can occur.
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