A bald patch in beard may arise for many different reasons. Among the most frequent causes include chemotherapy, ringworm, and alopecia. In-depth explanations of these causes, symptoms and treatments of hair loss experienced in your beard.
Causes of Bald Patch in Beard
There are several factors that can cause bald spots to appear in a person’s beard. Before you can think about treating the problem, you need to determine what the cause of the bald patch in beard is. Below you’ll find some of the most common causes.
Alopecia Areata
An autoimmune disorder called alopecia areata results in hair loss. Alopecia affects 147 million people globally. This condition typically strikes children first but it’s important to note that it is not contagious. The type of hair loss occurs when your immune system destroys your hair follicles, resulting in hair loss.
Although it can affect any region of the body, it typically results in round balding patches on one’s scalp. Doctors refer to it as “alopecia barbae” when the hair loss affects your beard. Alopecia is a condition that affects about every 2% of individuals in their lifetime.
Tinea Barbae
This is a condition that is caused due to ringworm and is very contagious. Typically known as Tinea Capitis when affecting the scalp, but is referred to as Tinea Barbae when the hair loss affects your beard. Ringworm, a common skin ailment that can affect any area of the body, is brought on by fungi. The person usually experiences symptoms 4 to 14 days after coming into contact with the ringworm fungus. Among the frequent origins of infection are:
- Person with ringworm: Sharing personal belongings such as towels, clothing, or brushes is not advised for anyone who has ringworm.
- Animals with ringworm: Ringworm is easily transmitted to people by many animals. Some of the most common ones include dogs, cows, cats, pigs, goats, and even horses.
- The environment: Damp places like public bathrooms and locker rooms are ideal for the fungus that causes ringworm.
Beard ringworm is quite a rarity but is seen more frequently in hot, muggy places around the world. Males are especially susceptible to tinea barbae. Females with darker, coarser hair on their faces and necks, however, may also be affected by tinea barbae.
Chemotherapy
One of the most used cancer treatments is chemotherapy. It usually causes hair loss known as chemotherapy-induced alopecia (CIA). It may impact the scalp, brows, eyelashes, or beard. The amount of hair you lose in your bald patch in beard will depend on various factors, such as the medication or medication combinations that the medical specialists have advised, the dosage of chemotherapy that is administered to your body and how your body responds to the medication or medications.
Some people who have chemotherapy will lose their hair, however, not everyone will. While some people just shed a little bit of hair sometimes, others may lose their hair completely or get a bald patch in beard.
Symptoms of The Different Causes of Bald Patch in Beard
A bald patch in beard can develop gradually or unexpectedly. The size of the bald patch can also change. There may be additional symptoms in addition to the bald patch, depending on the cause of the hair loss. A few additional symptoms that each ailment may trigger are covered in the headings below.
Alopecia Areata
Some alopecia sufferers may also get indentations on their fingernails. Although others claim that the skin becomes red and irritated before they experience their hair falling out, there are typically no other symptoms.
Tinea Barbae
The following are signs of ringworm infection:
- Hair loss
- a ring-shaped, circular rash
- itchy skin
- cracked skin
Scaly, itchy and red bumps which can appear on the lower parts of the face such as your cheeks, chin, or upper part of your neck are other signs of tinea barbae. These lesions could be pus-filled or crusty.
Chemotherapy
Usually, CIA doesn’t exhibit any other symptoms. Before receiving chemotherapy, it is highly unlikely to know whether a patient will experience hair thinning or hair loss.
Treating Bald Patch in Beard
Medications to cure hair loss may be suggested by a doctor after diagnosing the cause of a bald patch in the beard. Many individuals might prefer to use some of these prescribed medications while others will opt for natural cures. In other cases, many men choose to shave their entire beard and just accept their hair loss.
The type of treatment will depend on the cause of your bald patch in beard, but many treatments include antifungal creams, steroid creams, powders, or even ointments. If you don’t feel like giving any of these a try, there are many home remedies available for you to try out.
Gently massaging any of the following into the beard region are some of the home treatments for hair loss:
- Garlic juice
- Onion juice
- Green tea
- Aloe vera
- Castor oil
- Coconut oil
- Almond oil
- Lavender oil
- Rosemary oil
- Geranium oil
- Fish oil
It’s crucial to remember that the effectiveness of home treatments for treating hair loss in the beard area is not well supported by scientific research. But since none of these treatments poses a risk of damage, it would be worthwhile to give them a shot.
If you find yourself suffering a different cause of beard hair loss that results in a permanent bald patch in beard, you can consult with a medical professional about getting a beard transplant.
Our Overall Thoughts on Bald Patch in Beard
Most of the time, bald patch in beard are treatable and are not permanent. The majority of alopecia areata sufferers will recover completely, although they may experience a hair loss relapse in the future.
Despite ringworm being able to be treated with over-the-counter medications, if the infection doesn’t go away after a few weeks, a person may need to contact a doctor.
Chemotherapy-induced alopecia is typically transient. Once the treatment is over, the hair usually tends to grow back, but it could grow back differently in texture and colour for around a year after chemotherapy is completed.
