One Of The Most Common Forms Of Hair Loss: Alopecia Areata (Part 1)

There are many causes of hair loss and not all baldness patterns are the result of genetics. For example, and one that we will discuss in today's article, an auto-immune disorder can result in thinness and/or balding in both men and women.

What Is An Auto-Immune Disorder?

This is a disease where a person's immune system actually attacks itself. And when it comes to hair loss, there is one common autoimmune disorder called "alopecia areata" that causes the white blood cells to attack the hair follicles. This occurrence does not wipe out the entire follicle, but rather affects the "bulb" area (the deepest part). The result is a temporary loss of hair that can be regenerated in time.

Alopecia areata is one of the top two most common causes of hair loss in the world, with genetic predisposition coming in first place (called androgenetic alopecia). If you are experiencing an autoimmune disorder and are affected by the results of alopecia areata, you may notice one or two bald spots that start to show up on your scalp. The spots will become larger and larger over time until your immune system gets back to normal and the hair eventually replaces itself.

Does A Person With Alopecia Areata Lose All Of Their Hair?

Alopecia areata may or may not cause you to experience complete baldness. The size of your bald spots and the length of time in which they get larger depends totally on the stage of your disease, as well as how often your immune system collapses.

Some men and women, regardless of the intensity level of their autoimmune disease, may lose their entire head of hair in the very beginning stages. At the same time, others who are going through the same level of disease may only begin to show a few thinning bald spots. There is a technical name for when people lose all of their hair right away and is called "alopecia totalis".

Don't Be Surprised If You Also Lose Your Body Hair

Hair loss as a result of an autoimmune disease can also reach the point where a man or woman could lose their body hair. It is important to note that this is an extremely rare occurrence, but "alopecia universalis" as it is called, can affect a person in a way which causes them to lose every bit of hair on their body, including private areas. But just like the scalp, the hair will eventually grow back.

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