Ophiasis is a rare form of alopecia areata that causes hair loss in a snake-like pattern from the tops of the ears down. It is an autoimmune disease that damages hair follicles during the growth period, making regrowth difficult. Ophiasis inversus is a similar condition that causes hair loss above the ears.
Ophiasis is a pattern of baldness that typically appears in a band in the area from the tops of the ears down. Its name comes from the Greek word ophis, which means snake, and is a reference to the way the pattern of falling hair wraps around the head in a reptile-like fashion. This condition is one of the types of alopecia areata, a condition in which hair is lost in specific areas of the body and especially the head. It typically starts in one spot and spreads slowly over time.
The root cause of the condition is believed to be disruption of the hair follicle cycle. The phases of this cycle are anagen, catagen and telogen. Ophiasis begins when follicles are damaged during the anagen or growth period. This can cause the body to move through the catagen, or regress, period and rest period, telogen, too rapidly. Without adequate time to regenerate, the next anagen cycle will produce very little or no hair in areas with damaged follicles.
Although ophiasis most commonly develops in young people, it has been known to appear at any age. The condition appears to affect men and women equally frequently. Overall, it tends to be a rare disease.
Ophiasis is usually one of the more difficult forms of alopecia areata to treat. While there are many cases of alopecia where the hair eventually grows back, the chances of regrowth among patients with ophiasis are much lower. This is mainly because medications, which are usually administered via shampoos and gels, tend to have a delayed effect on this particular part of the body.
Aside from the actual hair loss, there are few other symptoms of ophiasis. Usually the only other sign is the appearance of indentations or other abnormal formations in the nails. This is due to a loss of keratin similar to that found in hair.
The condition is an autoimmune disease. Patients who have this type of baldness often also suffer from allergies, hypothyroidism, asthma and other problems associated with the immune system. Most people who develop it will not have any other skin conditions.
There is another similar condition called ophiasis inversus, where the same pattern of hair loss occurs in the opposite formation on the head, above the ears. It is also known as sisaipho, which is ofiasis spelled backwards. Individuals with this condition typically have a band of hair around the area under the ears.
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