Remember that an important function of hair is to protect the scalp from sunlight.Some men and a few women with extensive alopecia find that shaving off the remainder of the hair provides a good solution.You may find that joining a patient support group (see below) and meeting other people with alopecia areata will make it easier for you to adjust to your condition.Stress occasionally appears to be a trigger for alopecia areata, but it is possible that this link may be coincidental as many of those affected have no significant stress. Your doctor may suggest a blood test.Īlopecia areata is not catching and no connection has been made with food or vitamin deficiencies. If you have other symptoms then discuss these with your doctor. Someone with alopecia areata is slightly more likely than a person without it to develop other autoimmune conditions such as thyroid disease, diabetes, lupus and vitiligo (white patches on the skin), although the risk of getting these disorders is still very low. Why this might happen is not fully understood, nor is it known why only localised areas are affected and why the hair usually regrows again. The cause of this inflammation is unknown but it is thought that the immune system, the natural defence which normally protects the body from infections and other diseases, may attack the growing hair. Hair is lost because it is affected by inflammation. Keep up to date with the latest research about alopecia areata and all things skin related with our newsletter. In alopecia totalis and alopecia universalis, the likelihood of total regrowth is less. Most people get further attacks of alopecia areata. The hair sometimes regrows white, at least in the first instance. If more than half the hair is lost then the chances of a full recovery are not good. Most people, with only a few small patches get full regrowth within a year. The chances of the hair regrowing are better if less hair is lost at the beginning. Regrowth of hair in typical alopecia areata is usual over a period of months or sometimes years, but cannot be guaranteed. It is not possible to predict how much hair will be lost. In some people larger areas are affected and occasionally it can involve the whole scalp (alopecia totalis) or even the entire body and scalp (alopecia universalis). It usually causes small, coin-sized, round patches of baldness on the scalp, although hair elsewhere such as the beard, eyebrows, eyelashes, body and limbs can be affected. Alopecia areata is a common cause of non-scarring (does not cause scarring to the scalp) hair loss that can occur at any age. Alopecia is a general term for hair loss.
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