What is scarring alopecia?
Scarring alopecia refers to a group of hair loss disorders where inflammation destroys the hair follicles and replaces them with scar tissue.
It often presents with redness, scaling, and discomfort, and once the follicle is scarred, hair loss is usually permanent.
Red light therapy may offer anti-inflammatory benefits in early or pre-scarring stages, but it cannot reverse scarring once follicular structures are lost.
Related terms
Diffuse Thinning
Clinical Applications
Diffuse thinning refers to uniform hair loss across the entire scalp rather than in defined patches or regions.
Lichen Planopilaris
Clinical Applications
Lichen Planopilaris (LPP) is a rare inflammatory condition that results in scarring alopecia.
Alopecia Areata
Clinical Applications
Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disorder that causes patchy hair loss when the immune system mistakenly attacks hair follicles.
Autoimmune Response
Clinical Applications
An autoimmune response is a malfunction of the immune system in which the body mistakenly attacks its own healthy tissues, including hair follicles.