What is Alopecia Areata?
Alopecia Areata is thought to be an autoimmune condition in which the skin’s own immune system cells attack hairs at the roots, causing the hairs to fall out intact, leaving smooth, bare patches on the scalp or face.
In some patients a pregnancy, major trauma or illness precedes hair loss. One fifth of patients have a family history of Alopecia Areata.
The National Alopecia Areata Foundation reports this condition develops in 2% of the population or five million people in the United States.
The condition affects each person differently. Some hair follicles remain alive and able to resume normal hair production with the appropriate stimulation. The condition is cyclical and unpredictable, and the hair can grow back or fall out again at any time. With limited hair loss of less than 40%, hair will usually regrow in a few months.
