Alopecia Areata

Alopecia areata is a highly unpredictable, autoimmune skin disease that may lead to the loss of hair on the scalp and elsewhere on the body. This disease affects males and females of all ages and races, but it often begins in childhood. This disease affects approximately 2 percent of the population, or about 4.5 million people in the United States alone.

The exact cause of alopecia areata is unknown. It is thought that a combination of genes predispose certain people to this disease, and some trigger or possibly the confluence of several things sets the disease off. The immune system then mistakenly attacks hair follicles, which shrink in size, arresting visible hair production.

The first sign of alopecia areata is usually one or more small, round, smooth bald patches on the scalp. Thereafter, the pattern of hair loss is unpredictable: initial patches can regrow hair, and all evidence of the disease may disappear for years; patches of hair loss can appear and disappear repeatedly; or the disease can progress to total scalp hair loss (alopecia totalis) or complete body hair loss (alopecia universalis) for an extended period of time. It is important to remember that even if a person has had alopecia universalis for years, their hair follicles still hold the possibility for growth.

Alopecia areata is not life-threatening, but the loss of hair does make affected individuals more vulnerable to germs, dust, and other foreign particles entering the eyes, nose and ears, and affected skin has diminished protection from sun, wind, and cold. Individuals with alopecia areata may also have an increased risk for atopic dermatitis, asthma and allergies, and thyroid disease.

Current treatments for alopecia areata often include the use of topical sensitizers such as diphencyprone or squaric acid dibutyl ester, and topical medications like minoxidil or anthralin. Corticosteroids may also be applied topically or taken in pill form or injected. And some physicians utilize ultraviolet light and alternative therapies.

A person's age at the onset of alopecia areata, their current age, and the length and extent of hair loss often determine what treatments might be effective. In general, the earlier, the longer, and the greater the hair loss, the less likely it is that treatments will be effective in stimulating regrowth. The presence of atopic dermatitis may also indicate that treatments are likely to be ineffective.

The search for a cure is ongoing.

Information on this page, provided as a service by Peggy Knight Solutions, draws upon information from the following sources: the American Academy of Dermatology, the National Alopecia Areata Foundation, and the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, which is one of the National Institutes of Health, and the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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