Alopecia areata is an immune disorder that causes the hair to fall out, according to MedlinePlus. The condition can cause baldness or patchy hair loss on the head and the rest of the body. The hair eventually grows back most of the time, though the condition can also return. Alopecia areata treatment is most successful in those who have small areas of hair loss.
Symptoms
Hair loss from alopecia areata is most common on the scalp, but the condition can also affect facial and body hair, according to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases, or NIAMS. Typically, the hair loss occurs in round, patchy areas about the size of a quarter scattered around the head. A burning sensation on the scalp and lesions can also occur. Sometimes alopecia areata also causes pitting and ridging on the fingernails. When alopecia areata causes the loss of all scalp hair, it is called alopecia totalis, and when all body hair is lost, it is known as alopecia universalis.
General Causes
The causes of alopecia areata are not fully understood, according to NIAMS. For some unknown reason, the body's own immune system attacks the hair follicles, causing them to shrink and drastically slow down hair growth. Some people seem to be genetically predisposed to the condition. But it may also be triggered by environmental factors like a virus.
Genetic and Biological Causes
Some people appear to be at greater risk for alopecia areata, though it affects people of all ages, sexes and ethnic backgrounds, according to NIAMS. About 20 percent of people with alopecia areata have a family history of the disease. People who have a family member who developed the disease before age 30 are at particular risk, according to NIAMS. People who have other autoimmune diseases like lupus, in which the body attacks itself, seem to have a higher risk of alopecia areata, according to MedlinePlus.
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