Symptoms
Burning, pain, tenderness, itching, or unusual scalp sensitivity.
← Juniper Hair Restoration CenterSome hair loss
Scarring Alopecia · Bend & Redmond
Some hair loss
cannot afford delay.
Scarring alopecias are inflammatory disorders that can permanently damage hair follicles. Burning, itching, pain, redness, scaling, or a changing hairline deserves a real medical diagnosis—not another serum or a procedure sold before the cause is known.
Warning signs
When thinning is more than ordinary shedding.
Scarring alopecia is not one disease. It includes conditions such as lichen planopilaris, frontal fibrosing alopecia, central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia, and other inflammatory disorders. Some cases are painful or itchy; others progress quietly. These clues do not prove a diagnosis, but they are reasons to be examined promptly.
Scalp changes
Redness, scale, pustules, crusting, or smooth shiny areas with fewer follicle openings.
Pattern changes
A receding frontal hairline, patchy loss, crown-centered loss, or progressive areas that do not refill.
Hair clues
Broken hairs, eyebrow loss, or shedding paired with an inflamed or symptomatic scalp.
The medical pathway
Protect the follicles that are still there.
- 01
Define the pattern
We review timing, symptoms, health history, medications, hairstyles, family history, and prior treatment.
- 02
Examine the scalp
Clinical and magnified examination helps identify inflammation, follicular changes, breakage, and areas of possible scarring.
- 03
Confirm when needed
Photographs, laboratory testing, cultures, or a scalp biopsy may be recommended when they can change diagnosis or treatment.
- 04
Control active disease
The plan may include topical, injected, or oral medical therapy chosen for the specific condition, followed by ongoing monitoring.
Scarring alopecia questions
What patients need to know.
What is scarring alopecia?
Scarring alopecia, also called cicatricial alopecia, is a group of disorders in which inflammation damages hair follicles and can replace them with scar tissue. The goal of treatment is to control the inflammation and protect remaining follicles; hair lost after a follicle is destroyed may not regrow.
What symptoms should make me schedule promptly?
Hair loss accompanied by scalp burning, pain, tenderness, itching, redness, scaling, pustules, a receding frontal hairline, or smooth shiny areas deserves prompt dermatology evaluation. Symptoms vary, and some scarring alopecias can be quiet, so a changing pattern also matters.
How does a dermatologist diagnose scarring alopecia?
Diagnosis may include a detailed history, scalp and hair examination, magnified examination with a dermatoscope, photographs, and sometimes laboratory testing or a scalp biopsy. The exact process depends on the pattern and suspected condition.
Can scarring alopecia be reversed?
Treatment can often reduce or stop active inflammation and help preserve remaining hair, but follicles already replaced by scar tissue generally cannot produce new hair. Earlier diagnosis can protect more follicles, which is why waiting for extensive loss is risky.
Are PRP or Folix® the first treatment for scarring alopecia?
Not usually. Active inflammatory or scarring disease needs a medical diagnosis and control of inflammation first. Procedural treatments do not replace disease-directed therapy and may be inappropriate during active disease. Your dermatologist determines what is safe and useful after the condition is stable.
Urgency note: Rapidly progressing loss, significant pain, drainage, signs of infection, or associated systemic symptoms may need more urgent care. Online information cannot determine your diagnosis; examination is essential.
Do not wait for a symptomatic area to become smooth and shiny.
Schedule a dermatologist-led hair and scalp evaluation in Bend or Redmond.
Schedule your appointment