What is alopecia areata?
Alopecia areata is a hair-loss condition which usually affects the scalp. It can, however, sometimes affect other areas of the body. Hair loss tends to be rather rapid and often involves one side of the head more than the other.
Alopecia areata affects both males and females. This type of hair loss is different than male-pattern baldness, an inherited condition.
What causes alopecia areata?
Current evidence suggests that alopecia areata is caused by an abnormality in the immune system. This particular abnormality leads to autoimmunity. As a result, the immune system attacks particular tissues of the body. In alopecia areata, for unknown reasons, the body's own immune system attacks the hair follicles and disrupts normal hair formation. Biopsies of affected skin show immune cells inside of the hair follicles where they are not normally present. What causes this is unknown. Alopecia areata is sometimes associated with other autoimmune conditions such as allergic disorders, thyroid disease, vitiligo, lupus , rheumatoid arthritis, and ulcerative colitis. Sometimes, alopecia areata occurs within family members, suggesting a role of genes and heredity
How is alopecia areata treated?
In approximately 50% of patients, hair will regrow within a year without any treatment. The longer the period of time of hair loss, the less likelihood that the hair will regrow. A variety of treatments can be tried. Steroid injections, creams, and shampoos (such as clobetasol or fluocinonide) for the scalp have been used for many years. Other medications include minoxidil, irritants (anthralin or topical coal tar), and topical immunotherapy (cyclosporine), each of which are sometimes used in different combinations.
Alopecia Areata At A Glance
- Alopecia areata is a hair-loss condition which usually affects the scalp.
- Alopecia areata typically causes one or more patches of hair loss.
- Alopecia areata tends to affect younger individuals, both male and female.
- An autoimmune disorder, in which the immune system attacks hair follicles, is believed to cause alopecia areata.
- For most patients, the condition resolves without treatment within a year, but hair loss is sometimes permanent.
- A number of treatments are known to aid in hair regrowth. Multiple treatments may be necessary, and none consistently works for all patients.
- Many treatments are promoted which have not proven to be of benefit.
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