Alopecia Areata is a condition causing hair to fall around in different small patches, which generally goes unnoticed. This disease generally develops when the human immune system attacks the hair follicles, thereby resulting in hair loss. A person suffering from this disease might be facing sudden hair loss in the scalp and even in the eyelashes, eyebrows, and face. In most cases, it develops slowly and recur after years between all the instances. Alopecia Areata might also result in a total hair loss, which is also called Alopecia Universalis, and it can also prevent hair from growing back. The overall extent of hair regrowth and hair loss varies from one person to another. As of now, there isn’t any cure for this condition. However, there are a few treatments that might help in overall hair growth and can further prevent future hair loss. Several resources are available in order to help people to cope up better with all the stress related to hair loss.
Key Causes Of Alopecia Areata
Alopecia Areata is an autoimmune condition that is mainly developed when the body’s immune systems mistake healthy cells for foreign substances. In most cases, the immune system defends a human body against different types of foreign invaders such as bacteria and viruses. In case you are suffering from alopecia areata, your immune system might start attacking all your hair follicles. These hair follicles are the structures from which the hair starts growing. This disease further causes the hair follicles to become smaller thereby stopping the production of hair while leading to hair loss.
In most cases, this disease usually happens in people who have a family history of other autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, type one diabetes, etc. This is the main reason why some scientists suspect that genetics might contribute to the overall development of alopecia areata. It is also believed that several factors in the environment also triggers alopecia aerate especially in peoples who are genetically predisposed to the disease.
Types Of Alopecia Areata
There are different types of Alopecia Areata existing among humans. Each of the types of disease is characterized by several extents of hair loss and people suffering from it might experience different other symptoms. Each of these disease types might also have different types of prognosis and treatment.
- Diffuse Alopecia Areata: This disease might look a lot like male or female pattern hair loss. It generally results in unexpected and sudden thinning of hair all over the scalp and not just into one patch or area.
- Alopecia Totalis: This syndrome generally happens when the patient suffers from hair loss all throughout the entire scalp.
- Alopecia Areata: The main characteristics of this infection is having one or more coin-sized patches of hair loss in the body or on the skin. This condition generally expands when a person is already suffering from alopecia Universalis and alopecia totalis.
- Ophiasis Alopecia: Ophiasis Alopecia is a sort of hair loss that generally follows a band all along the lower back and sides of the scalp.
- Alopecia Universalis: Apart from the loss of hair on the scalp, anybody suffering from this form of the disease might lose all hairs on the eyebrows, face, eyelashes, etc. Furthermore, it is also possible to lose other body hairs which include, public hair, back, and chest.
