Alopecia areata is a common autoimmune skin disease, causing hair loss on the scalp, face and sometimes on other areas of the body. In fact, it affects as many as 6.8 million people in the U.S. with a lifetime risk of 2.1%. People of all ages, both sexes and all ethnic groups can develop alopecia areata.
Alopecia areata affects 1 in every 500 to 1,000 people in the United States. It is one of many recognized forms of alopecia; alopecia areata is the second most common form after androgenetic alopecia (male-pattern baldness in men and female-pattern baldness in women).
The estimated prevalence is approximately 1 in 1000 people, with a lifetime risk of approximately 2 percent [1,2]. Both children and adults may develop alopecia areata, and the disorder occurs at similar rates in males and females [1].
Approximately 6.8 million people in the United States and 147 million worldwide have or will develop alopecia areata at some point in their lives.
Anyone can have alopecia areata. Men and women get it equally, and it affects all racial and ethnic groups. The onset can be at any age, but most people get it in their teens, twenties, or thirties. When it occurs in children younger than age 10, it tends to be more extensive and progressive.
Jada Pinkett Smith is one of the most famous celebrities with alopecia. She was diagnosed with alopecia areata in 2018, and has been open about it on social media since then. Jada has used steroid treatment and covered her hair with wigs and headscarves to disguise her condition.
Hair loss (alopecia) can affect just your scalp or your entire body, and it can be temporary or permanent. It can be the result of heredity, hormonal changes, medical conditions or a normal part of aging. Anyone can lose hair on their head, but it's more common in men.
Alopecia areata isn't usually a serious medical condition, but it can cause a lot of anxiety and sadness. Support groups are out there to help you deal with the psychological effects of the condition. If you lose all your hair, it could grow back.
Alopecia areata is not life-threatening and does not cause physical pain. However, the psychosocial effects of hair loss can be devastating. In addition, patients may experience symptoms related to hair loss, such as increased eye or nasal irritation after loss of eyelash or nasal hair.
Alopecia areata (AA) causes hair loss in small, round patches that may go away on their own, or may last for many years.
Alopecia areata is more common among African Americans but less common among Asians, compared with whites, according to a new study involving registry data for more than 11,000 individuals.
A few people who develop alopecia areata will progress to total scalp baldness (alopecia totalis). Even fewer people will lose all scalp and body hair (alopecia universalis).
It may be progressive, meaning it gets worse over time, or it may not. For some people, small bare patches join together and turn into large patches. You're more likely to have extensive alopecia areata if: You have eczema.
Cicatricial alopecia .
It involves inflammation that destroys hair follicles. The destroyed follicles get replaced by scar tissue, resulting in permanent hair loss in the area.
Because hair loss and regrowth from alopecia areata is unpredictable and sometimes cyclical (comes back again and again), having the condition can be frustrating and emotionally challenging for many people.
You can get alopecia areata at any age; however, most people develop it by 30 years of age. For many, the disease begins during childhood or the teenage years.
A variety of factors are thought to cause alopecia areata (al-o-PEE-she-uh ar-e-A-tuh), possibly including severe stress. With alopecia areata, the body's immune system attacks the hair follicles — causing hair loss.
The main types are: Alopecia areata: Alopecia is the medical term for bald. Areata means patchy. This patchy baldness can develop anywhere on the body, including the scalp, beard area, eyebrows, eyelashes, armpits, inside your nose, or ears.
The extent of alopecia (how much hair has fallen out) varies and links to the different subtypes. Some said their hair loss involved one small patch about the size of a 1p coin which regrew after a few weeks or months. Others developed more patches which sometimes joined up into bigger bald areas over time.
How Long does Hair Loss Last? In half of patients with alopecia areata, individual episodes of hair loss last less than one year, and hair grows back without treatment. These patients may experience recurrent episodes of hair loss that spontaneously regrow or respond quickly to treatments.
Most people know alopecia to be a form of hair loss. However, what they don't always know is that there are three main types of the condition – alopecia areata, alopecia totalis and alopecia universalis.
The first sign of alopecia areata is often a round or oval bald patch on the scalp.
It can occur suddenly or develop gradually over time. Sudden-onset causes include illness, diet, medications, and childbirth. Alopecia that has a gradual onset more likely has a genetic component.
The hair loss associated with alopecia areata is unpredictable, and as far as doctors and researchers can tell, it appears to be spontaneous . The hair may grow back at any time and then may fall out again. The extent of hair loss and regrowth varies greatly from person to person.