Alopecia Areata is a hair loss condition that causes the hair to fall out spontaneously. It is believed to be an autoimmune disorder, meaning that the body attacks the hair follicles, causing them to fall out and keeping new hair from growing.
Alopecia usually starts in childhood, but can start in adulthood. Approximately 5 million people in the United States have Alopecia. It does seem to have a genetic link as well. Twenty percent of people affected with Alopecia have a family member that has it also.
There is no known treatment for this disorder. Steroid creams may be applied to the scalp, but no treatment has been proven to work. The FDA has not approved any medication for the treatment of Alopecia.
It usually starts as small areas of hair loss on the scalp. Sometimes stressful events can trigger the hair loss. Sometimes the hair does grow back, but usually the hair loss is permanent. Some sufferers experience total body hair loss, including eyelashes, eyebrows and all other body hair.
Some people with Alopecia opt to use wigs. Some have embraced their hair loss and chose to be bald.
There are support groups for people with Alopecia. It is a great source of encouragement and advice.