Read more about this disease, some with Classification – Types – Signs and symptoms – Genetics – Pathophysiology – Diagnosis – Screening – Prevention – Treatment and management – Cures and much more, some including pictures and video when available.
Alopecia areata (AA) is a condition affecting humans, in which hair is lost from areas of the body, usually from the scalp.[1] Because it causes bald spots on the scalp, especially in the first stages, it is sometimes called spot baldness. In 1%–2% of cases, the condition can spread to the entire scalp (Alopecia totalis) or to the entire epidermis (Alopecia universalis). Conditions resembling AA, and having a similar cause, occur also in other species.[2]
The condition affects 0.1%–0.2% of humans, occurring in both males and females.[1]
Alopecia areata occurs in people who are apparently healthy and have no skin disorder.[3] Initial presentation most commonly occurs in the late teenage years, early childhood, or young adulthood, but can happen with people of all ages.[1]
The most common type of alopecia areata involves hair loss in one or more round spots on the scalp.[1]
Alopecia areata totalis and universalis are rare.[4]
Alopecia areata is not contagious.[1] It occurs more frequently in people who have affected family members, suggesting that heredity may be a factor,[1] and at least one of the genes involved has been mapped to chromosome 8p21–22.[5] In addition, it is slightly more likely to occur in people who have relatives with autoimmune diseases.[4]
The condition is thought to be an autoimmune disorder in which the body attacks its own hair follicles and suppresses or stops hair growth.[1] There is evidence that T cell lymphocytes cluster around these follicles, causing inflammation and subsequent hair loss. An unknown environmental trigger such as emotional stress or a pathogen is thought to combine with hereditary factors to cause the condition.[3] There are a few recorded cases of babies being born with congenital alopecia areata; however, these are not cases of autoimmune disease because an infant is born without a fully developed immune system. Alopecia can be an adverse effect from using Prilosec, which is a Proton Pump Inhibitor that is used in treating GERD, among other things.[citation needed]
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