Where
Plot No 13D/B, Wellington Rd, Vikrampuri Colony, Karkhana, Secunderabad, Telangana 500009.
- Serves Trimulgherry, West Marredpally, Bowenpally, Alwal
- Formerly BNR Skin & Vitiligo Hospital
Hyderabad
Alopecia areata treatment in Hyderabad
Smooth round bald patches that appeared over weeks are not ordinary hair loss. Alopecia areata is autoimmune, the follicles are alive but switched off, which is why it needs immune-directed treatment and not a growth serum.
45 years in dermatologyDermatologist & dermatosurgeonKarkhana, SecunderabadBooking on WhatsApp
At a glance
- What it is
- Autoimmune: follicles alive but suppressed
- Pattern
- Smooth round patches, scalp or beard
- Totalis
- Complete scalp loss
- Universalis
- All body hair
- Regrowth
- Common: often spontaneous in limited disease
- Associated
- Thyroid disease, vitiligo
What it is
The follicles are still there.
In alopecia areata the immune system attacks the hair follicle and forces it into dormancy. Crucially it does not destroy it. That is why regrowth is possible even after years, and why the treatment is aimed at calling off the immune attack rather than at stimulating growth.
Limited patchy disease has a good outlook: a substantial proportion regrows within a year even without treatment, though treatment shortens that and reduces the psychological weight of waiting. Extensive disease, alopecia totalis and universalis, is harder and less predictable.
It is also worth screening for the conditions that travel with it. Autoimmune thyroid disease is the commonest association, and vitiligo occurs more often in people with alopecia areata than in the general population.
Before you decide
Who is treating you, and what his patients said.
Dr. (Lt Col) Khagendra Varada
- 45 years in dermatology and dermatosurgery
- 25 of them in the Indian Army Medical Corps
- MBBS, Osmania Medical College
- Dip. Practical Dermatology, Cardiff · Dip. Dermatology, AAAM
Reg. No. 10461, Hyderabad State Medical Council
Full background →“I have been going pillar to post to get my son cured of his white spot on his left side of lip and chin. It appeared 8 years back. I was told it’s special type of nerve vitiligo which has no cure. After reporting to him he told us that it is SEGMENTAL VITILIGO and unlikely and difficult to be cleared by medications alone. He suggested for surgical melanocyte transplant… I was amazed after around one month that he started rapidly getting pigmentation. I wholeheartedly suggest please do not waste time like I did.”
“Dr. Varada is an incredibly patient, knowledgeable and wonderful doctor. He sorted out an issue that I had been dealing with for years in one appointment and there’s been no looking back since!”
The mechanism
The follicle is switched off, not destroyed.
In alopecia areata the immune system surrounds the base of the follicle and stops it working. The follicle itself stays intact and alive — which is why regrowth is possible even after months of a bare patch.
- 1The follicle is intact
- 2Hair pinched and broken off
- 3Immune cells around the base
It also explains the honest answer to the commonest question: nobody can predict when it will regrow, because the follicle is waiting rather than gone.
- The follicle is intact
- Hair pinched and broken off
- Immune cells around the base
Illustration, not a photograph.
Treatment
What is used, and for what
| Treatment | Suits | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Intralesional steroid injections | A few discrete patches | First-line for limited adult disease; repeated at intervals |
| Potent topical steroids | Children, or where injections are declined | Time-limited; skin thinning is the risk |
| Topical immunotherapy | Extensive or resistant disease | Deliberately provokes a mild reaction; specialist supervision |
| Topical minoxidil | Adjunct, not a primary treatment | Supports regrowth once the attack is controlled |
| Newer immune-directed agents | Severe or extensive disease | Assessed case by case; monitoring required |
| No active treatment | Small patches, patient preference | A legitimate choice: many regrow spontaneously |
‘Watch and wait’ belongs on this list. For a single small patch in an adult it is a reasonable plan, provided it is a decision rather than an absence of one.
The part that isn’t dermatology
Sudden visible hair loss is not a small thing.
Alopecia areata arrives quickly, is highly visible, and has no symptoms, which makes it easy for other people to treat as trivial. It is not. The distress it causes is frequently out of proportion to the area involved, and that is a normal response rather than an overreaction.
Practical measures are part of the plan: what to say to people, whether camouflage or a hairpiece is wanted, and, for children, a note to the school. None of these are consolation prizes; they are the part of treatment that works immediately.
If it is not alopecia areataRegrowth is common
Limited disease frequently regrows within a year. New hair often comes back white first and recolours later.
Relapse is also common
It can recur years later. Knowing that in advance makes it far less alarming when it happens.
Where to book
One clinic, in Secunderabad
Consulting rooms, phototherapy and the surgical list at one address in Secunderabad. The practice was formerly known as BNR Skin & Vitiligo Hospital.
How to book
On WhatsApp: one number, answered by the clinic team, who confirm a time and say what to bring.
- Photographs welcome before you travel
- Video consultation arranged the same way
Beware anything promising a permanent cure
Alopecia areata relapses and remits by nature. A treatment that coincides with a spontaneous regrowth will appear to have cured it, which is why this condition attracts more unfounded claims than almost any other in dermatology.
Questions patients actually ask
Alopecia areata questions
Will my hair grow back?
In limited patchy alopecia areata, frequently yes: a substantial proportion regrows within a year, and treatment shortens that. Extensive disease, totalis and universalis, is less predictable.
Is alopecia areata permanent?
The follicles are not destroyed, so regrowth remains possible even after long periods. That distinguishes it from scarring alopecias, where the follicle is lost for good.
What causes alopecia areata?
It is autoimmune, with a genetic component. Stress is often blamed and may act as a trigger in someone predisposed, but it is not the cause.
Does it mean I have another autoimmune disease?
Not necessarily, but the associations are real enough to check for. Thyroid disease most commonly, and vitiligo occurs more often than in the general population.
Are steroid injections painful?
There is a brief sting with each injection. Sessions are short and repeated at intervals of several weeks. Most adults tolerate them without difficulty.
Can children be treated?
Yes, though injections are usually avoided in young children in favour of topical treatment. The approach is gentler and the outlook in children is generally good.
References
The clinical statements on this page follow the guidance and evidence below. They are independent sources. None of them is connected to this clinic, and none of them sells the treatments described here.
- Alopecia areataUS National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIH)
- Alopecia areataDermNet (New Zealand Dermatological Society)
- Hair loss: causes, diagnosis and treatmentAmerican Academy of Dermatology
Keep reading
Related on this site
The first appointment is a diagnosis.
Not a treatment plan sold on the spot. Message the clinic and bring your history.