Where does alopecia usually start?

It usually begins with the hair on your head. There are three severe forms of alopecia, including: Areata (patchy hair loss on your head) Totalis (complete hair loss on your head)

What does alopecia look like when it first starts?

A common symptom includes small, round patches of hair loss on the scalp, beard area, or other “hairy” parts of the body. Those with alopecia may also notice hair loss and regrowth at the same time, but in different areas of the body. Hair may also only be missing from one side of the scalp and not the other.

Can you randomly develop alopecia?

Alopecia areata often develops suddenly, over the course of just a few days. There is little scientific evidence that alopecia areata is caused by stress. People with alopecia areata who have only a few patches of hair loss often experience a spontaneous, full recovery, without the need for treatment.

How quickly does alopecia spread?

People with alopecia areata typically have smooth, round patches of complete hair loss that develop over a period of a few weeks, followed in most cases by regrowth over several months (picture 1). However, alopecia areata may persist for several years and sometimes hair never regrows.

Where is alopecia most common?

The scalp is the most commonly affected area, but the beard or any hair-bearing site can be affected alone or together with the scalp. Some people develop only a few bare patches that regrow hair within a year.

How do I know if I’ve got alopecia?

The main symptom of alopecia areata is hair loss. Hair usually falls out in small patches on the scalp. These patches are often several centimeters or less. Hair loss might also occur on other parts of the face, like the eyebrows, eyelashes, and beard, as well as other parts of the body.

How long does alopecia stay active?

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.

What triggers alopecia?

Alopecia areata occurs when the body’s immune system mistakes hair follicles as foreign and attacks them. This causes the hairs to fall out. This specific form of autoimmunity is a lifelong tendency that can be inherited from either parent.

Does stress cause alopecia?

Excessive physical or emotional stress—like that associated with injury, illness, or surgery—can cause one of two types of hair loss: Alopecia areata: This stress-induced hair loss involves a white blood cell attack on the hair follicles.

How do people get alopecia?

What causes alopecia areata? Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease. This means that your immune system mistakenly attacks a part of your body. When you have alopecia areata, cells in your immune system surround and attack your hair follicles (the part of your body that makes hair).

How do you prevent alopecia from getting worse?

How can I stimulate my bald spot?

Can you have mild alopecia?

A mild case of alopecia areata starts with one to two coin-size hairless patches. In many instances, it stops after that. Sometimes, the hair will grow back. However, there’s no guarantee.