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.
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.
This type of baldness is not usually caused by a disease. It is related to aging, heredity, and changes in the hormone testosterone. Inherited, or pattern baldness, affects many more men than women. Male pattern baldness can occur at any time after puberty.
The disease usually occurs in young adults, and its incidence peaks between 20 and 25 years of age2. The first disease episode typically presents before 20 years of age2. One study reports that 85.5% of Asian patients with AA present before 40 years of age4.
The inheritance pattern of alopecia areata is unclear because multiple genetic and environmental factors appear to be involved. Overall, the risk of developing the condition is greater for first-degree relatives (such as siblings or children) of affected individuals than it is in the general population.
While androgenic alopecia cannot be prevented, it can be treated and its progression can be slowed. “Androgenic alopecia can start at any age. Unfortunately, by the time hair loss is noticeable 50 percent of hairs have already fallen from the scalp.
Is alopecia areata hereditary? Yes, heredity plays a role. Alopecia areata is a “polygenic disease” which requires the contribution of many genes to bring about the disease, as well as a contribution from the environment.
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.
1) Yes, alopecia areata can pass from parents to children - but it is not common. About 6 % of your son's children would be predicated to have alopecia areata and 94 % would not. In other words, it' s possible for your son to have a child with alopecia areata but most likely he will not.
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).
What is alopecia? Alopecia is a general term for hair loss and represents many different types of hair loss conditions. Generally we categorize alopecia as non-scarring, which may be reversible/temporary, and scarring, which is irreversible, although the cause can be addressed to stop further hair loss.
Alopecia occurs for many different reasons and presents in various ways. 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.
Ways to Stop Alopecia Areata from Spreading or Worsening
Avoiding unnecessary hair or scalp trauma, reducing stress and analyzing your diet are all worthwhile endeavors when attempting to prevent alopecia areata from spreading.
Alopecia areata is sometimes triggered by viral infections such as influenza that causes excess production of interferons (IFN). IFN- γ is one of the key factors that lead to the collapse of immune privilege.
Female-pattern baldness is a pattern of hair loss (alopecia) caused by hormones, aging and genetics. Unlike male-pattern baldness, female-pattern baldness is an over-all thinning which maintains the normal hairline.
Compared with the general population, increased prevalence rates of psychiatric disorders are associated with alopecia (Koo et al., 1994) suggesting that people with alopecia may be at higher risk for development of a major depressive episode, anxiety disorder, social phobia or paranoid disorder.
When does alopecia areata begin? 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.
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.
On the AIP elimination diet, you will avoid grains, legumes, nightshades (such as potatoes and peppers), dairy, eggs, coffee, alcohol, sugar, oil and food additives. After a few months, you can work the excluded foods back in one at a time to figure out which foods trigger an inflammatory reaction.
The human body produces the hormone melatonin. This hormone has been confirmed by researchers to regulate the sleep cycle and increase hair growth. While sleep has a direct impact on the human body's natural hormones, it means that poor sleep reduces the amount of melatonin, potentially cause hair loss.
Though the symptoms of alopecia areata typically do not cause physical pain, many people with the condition say that it causes emotional, or psychological, pain. This type of pain is as serious (and can feel the same) as physical pain and can lead to feelings of sadness, depression and anxiety.
The condition can develop at any age, although most people develop alopecia areata for the first time before the age of 30. Alopecia areata is not life-threatening and does not cause physical pain. However, the psychosocial effects of hair loss can be devastating.
One popular myth is that hair loss in men is passed down from the mother's side of the family while hair loss in women is passed down from the father's side; however, the truth is that the genes for hair loss and hair loss itself are actually passed down from both sides of the family.