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Alopecia areata

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goodtoknow says: Going bald isn't something that just happens to men. Women and children can also suffer hair loss. It may be triggered by stress, through illness or for no apparent reason at all. About 25 percent of people with alopecia have a family history. There are three main sorts of alopecia hair loss: alopecia areata, bald patches anywhere on your body, alopecia totalis, complete loss of hair on your scalp and alopecia universalis, complete hair loss on your body. Hair can re-grow, although some people have permanent hair loss. The good news is that there are promising new regrowth treatments.

For a full medical explanation of the causes, symptoms and treatments of alopecia from patient.co.uk, read on.

Alopecia areata is one type of hair loss that typically causes patches of baldness. In some cases total baldness develops. In many cases the hair re-grows, typically after several months. In some cases, the hair loss is permanent. Treatments to promote hair re-growth work in some cases.

What is alopecia areata and who is affected?

Alopecia means 'loss of hair' or 'hair loss' or 'baldness'. There are several different causes and patterns of alopecia. Alopecia areata is one type of hair loss. The exact number of people affected by alopecia areata is not known. Estimates vary between 1 in 1000 to 2 in 100 people being affected at some point in their life. Alopecia areata can occur at any age but most cases first develop in teenagers and children. In about 6 in 10 cases the first patch of hair loss develops before the age of 20 years. Males and females are equally affected.

Next: What are the symptoms of alopecia areata?

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Tracy, over 2 years

It's reassuring to know that alopecia isn't as rare as I thought. It's comforting to know other people are going through what I'm currently going through.

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