Hair loss caused by Staphylococcus aureus - What to do?
Table of contents
- What is Staphylococcus aureus?
- How is it transmitted?
- Why does hair loss occur during an infection?
- Is effective treatment possible?
- What to do if hair loss is irreversible?
- Conclusion: Staphylococcus aureus can cause hair loss
What is Staphylococcus aureus?
This is a bacterium found in approximately 30 percent of healthy adults and does not cause any disease. The bacterium primarily colonizes the skin and is kept out of the body by healthy mucous membranes.
However, if the immune system is weakened, it can quickly lead to various diseases, for example if it can reach various organs through the body's bloodstream.
Most commonly, however, it causes a skin disease similar to folliculitis decalvans , which is also responsible for hair loss caused by Staphylococcus aureus.
How is it transmitted?
This pathogen is one of the most dangerous types of staphylococcus , as the virus not only spreads very easily but also exhibits a high level of resistance . The bacteria easily tolerate temperatures of up to 60 degrees Celsius and are resistant to acid, allowing them to survive the stomach unscathed.
The pathogen is usually transmitted through direct contact with infected individuals or through sharing contaminated objects. Droplet infection is also possible when the virus is released into the air when sneezing or coughing.
Why does hair loss occur during an infection?
Staphylococcus aureus infection can manifest itself in many ways. However, it is particularly common when it affects the skin. It can occur anywhere on the body, but is most commonly found on the scalp. This often results in scaly, itchy, or weeping bacterial infections that weaken the scalp and are uncomfortable for the affected person.
The biggest problem, however, is that these skin diseases are usually accompanied by abscess formation. On the scalp, this often means that the hair roots are damaged by the disease , resulting in visible and significant hair loss in the form of scarring alopecia .
Depending on the severity and duration of the infestation, hair loss can be either short-term or permanent. This depends, among other things, on how severely the hair follicles have been affected by the infestation.
Is effective treatment possible?
The virus is generally very easy to treat with various antibiotics, so if you become infected, there's a good chance you'll be able to get rid of the infection quickly. However, there are currently some strains that are already resistant to various antibiotics .
However, medicine still offers sufficient alternatives , so you can usually be freed from this pathogen within a few weeks. Therefore, hair loss caused by Staphylococcus aureus usually only becomes a real problem if the disease remains untreated or is detected far too late.
If the infection is detected and diagnosed early, the disease can usually be treated very effectively. If treatment is initiated before large abscesses form on the scalp, there's a good chance that the hair will grow back. It always depends very much on whether the virus infection has damaged the hair or whether treatment was initiated early enough.
What to do if hair loss is irreversible?
If the scalp condition isn't detected and treated medically early enough, the cosmetic problem often becomes much more serious. The abscesses that frequently occur with this condition can cause irreversible damage to the scalp and hair roots . If this occurs, new hair will no longer grow in the affected areas, and hair loss will persist.
In these cases, there are no miracle cures that can stimulate hair growth again. Therefore, after the condition has healed , hair transplantation is often the only way to preserve the natural hair appearance.
This involves taking hair follicles from the back of the head and transplanting them to the bald areas affected by hair loss. By positioning the follicles in a targeted manner , full, healthy hair can be restored .
It takes between 6 and 12 months for the final results to become fully visible, and by then you'll no longer be able to tell that you were ever suffering from hair loss. This way, hair loss caused by Staphylococcus aureus loses much of its horror.
Conclusion: Staphylococcus aureus can cause hair loss
As you can see, infection with Staphylococcus aureus is not uncommon even in our latitudes. However, in most people, the infection is less severe and does not lead to direct illness. However, if the skin is infected, it can also affect the scalp and lead to hair loss.
In these cases, the key is how quickly the infection is detected and treated. The longer the disease remains untreated, the greater the risk that the hair follicles will be damaged too severely and that hair loss caused by Staphylococcus aureus will become permanent .
First, the affected area of skin must be comprehensively treated before you can consider further steps. Once the scalp has healed, a hair transplant is often the most effective and only way to restore a full head of hair.
