Alopecia areata, also called spotty hair loss, is an autoimmune disease in which the body's immune system attacks the hair follicles and forces them into resting phase, leading to hair falling off. This results in one or more round, bald spots on the scalp, beard, or on other parts of the body. The condition is reminiscent of alopecia totalis, a more extensive form of hair loss that affects the entire scalp. In many people with alopecia areata, hair grows back within 6 to 24 months, but not always.
Alopecia, sometimes also called alopecia, is the medical term for hair loss.
It is not uncommon for the concepts of alopecia and alopecia to be confused with the specific diagnosis of alopecia areata, which can lead to the misconception that all alopecia is a disease. However, this is not the case. Alopecia is a blanket term that simply means hair loss and can have many different causes. It can occur in various forms, from small patchy areas of hair loss, as in alopecia areata, to more widespread hair loss for example androgenic alopecia, which is the most common type and is caused by hereditary and hormonal factors.
Alopecia areata is usually manifested by the sudden onset of losing hair in round or irregular patches, usually on the scalp but sometimes also on other parts of the body. It is not uncommon for hair loss to occur without warning and for the affected skin to look completely normal — smooth, without redness or scars.
Why do you get Alopecia areata? Alopecia areata is an autoimmune hair disease, which means that the body's immune system accidentally attacks its own hair follicles as if they were something foreign and attacks them. This leads to the fact that the hairs enter the resting phase and stop growing, resulting in spotty hair loss. Despite this, the hair roots themselves are not destroyed, they are only inactive, which allows hair growth in many cases to resume after a period. The resting phase can last anywhere from six months to over a year.
Exactly why the immune system starts attacking the hair follicles is not yet fully understood, but the research points to a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Around 20 per cent of those affected have a close relative with the same condition, showing that genes do matter. At the same time, external factors such as prolonged stress, hormonal changes or viral infections can serve as triggering factors. These triggers can upset the balance of the immune system and start the course of the disease.
Since the disease can be influenced by several internal and external factors, it is important to understand what may be behind its occurrence or aggravation, as well as to seek early medical and psychological support.
There are several treatment options that can help with alopecia areata. The goal is to dampen inflammation, affect the immune system reaction in the hair follicles and promote new hair growth. Below are some common methods that are often used depending on the extent and severity of the hair loss:
PRP can be particularly effective if you experience occasional bald spot scalp or bald patches in the beard, as the treatment targets reactivating hair production where the hair follicles are still active. In most cases, hair grows back within 6—12 months, depending on the extent of alopecia and when treatment is started.
Alopecia areata can absolutely occur in the beard, and when it happens, it is usually called alopecia areata barbae. This means that the immune system attacks the hair follicles in the beard area, which leads to the disappearance of round or oval patches of beard hair. The skin in these spots is often smooth and without irritation, but some may feel slight tingling or discomfort before hair loss begins. The condition can come on suddenly and regrowth varies from person to person -- sometimes the beard grows back spontaneously, while others may need treatment such as cortisone creams or injections.
Yes -- stress can help trigger alopecia areata, but it is not the root cause.
Alopecia areata is basically a autoimmune disease, but strong or prolonged stress can:
Stress alone It does not cause alopecia areata, but acts as a common triggering factor in those who have a genetic or immunological vulnerability.
Yes, many can be fully or partially healthy from alopecia areata — but the course varies greatly between people.
What is important to know:
Treatments as cortisone, immunomodulating creams, injections, or newer immunotherapies (e.g. JAK inhibitors) can increase the chance of regrowth, but work differently well for different people.
Alopecia areata is due to the body's immune system mistakenly attacking the hair follicles. It is therefore an autoimmune disease. The exact cause is unknown, but several factors can increase the risk:
The result is that the hair follicles go into the resting phase and the hair falls off in spots.
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