Alopecia

Alopecia Areata is a common autoimmune skin disease resulting in the loss of hair on the scalp, face and sometimes other parts of the body.

When you have alopecia your own body’s immune system is attacking the healthy hair follicles, causing them to become much smaller and drastically slow down production to the point that hair growth may stop. Research by the National Alopecia Areata Foundation found that alopecia affects more than 6.8 million people in the United States alone.

Alopecia is a mysterious skin disease because it’s highly unpredictable and varies from case to case. People of all ages, all ethnic groups and both genders can develop alopecia. The hair can grow back or fall out at any time during the course of a person’s life. Alopecia often first appears during childhood and can be different for everyone who has it.

Alopecia is classified into three different categories:

• Alopecia Areata which is the development of hairless patches that can vary from small to large.
• Alopecia Totalis which is total hair loss.
• Alopecia Universalis which is complete hair loss over the entire body.

Although there is currently no cure for alopecia, there are many treatment options available. Please contact your doctor or dermatologist for further information regarding diagnosis and treatment.