Alopecia Areata is a severe form of hair loss that affects the head and even the eyebrows. It is often caused by the autoimmune system attacking hair follicles, but in some cases extreme stress can factor into the disease. It is treatable.

Both sexes can suffer from Alopecia, with more people suffering from it than previous generations. In fact, according to the NHS around 8m women in the UK experience hair loss of some degree. This can be down to a number of reasons.

What Is Alopecia Areata?

As described, alopecia is a form of hair loss. The word itself means loss of hair. The number of people suffering from alopecia is about 1 in 1000.
It can occur to any person at any age. Many cases affect children and teenagers. Both men and women can be equally impacted by the hair loss but men tend to be affected at earlier ages and women tend to be affected as they grow older.

Alopecia Areata can cause total baldness. However, it can be a temporary condition where the hair grows back on its own. In a few cases, the baldness is permanent. Hair regrowth treatments can be effective.

What are the symptoms of Alopecia Areata?

Some of the first symptoms are a drastic, sudden loss of hair. Sometimes the hair comes out in clumps. The clumps leave behind bald patches that are usually round. These patches develop quickly and continue to grow.

The scalp, despite the hair loss, will still appear clear and healthy. There might be some redness and some people also feel some itchiness or mild burning accompanying the loss. The disease is hard to predict as far as progression goes. It can be that it develops into complete baldness. It is best to seek the help of a doctor as soon as the unusual hair loss is noted.

Other Indications Of Alopecia

• Sometimes the hair does grow back on its own. This usually takes several months, however, the person’s hair colour may be different and may appear white or grey. This usually gives way to the natural hair colour growing back over time.
• There are times a bald patch appears and nothing else occurs until a few weeks later. During this time, it could be that the bald patch begins to regrow hair while another patch develops. Smaller patches can merge together.
• Other hair like that on the eyebrows, eyelashes or beards can also be affected. When a person loses all of the hair on their scalp it is called alopecia tot
  alis. When a person loses all body hair it is called alopecia universalis.
• There are treatments available for alopecia, so if any symptoms are noted there is no immediate cause for alarm. The condition can be treated and the individual can make use of wigs or hair extensions to cover the disorder. This will help reduce embarrassment and stress which can increase the disease’s impact.
• If any large clumps of hair are found in a shower or hairbrush, talk to a doctor immediately. The condition must be properly diagnosed treatments to be effective.

We have found many self help forums and guides. We love the support and care that Alopecia World offers.

At Skalp we offer fantastic treatments for people suffering from Alopecia and a whole host of hair loss issues. We offer micropigmentation for women as well as men, so why not talk to us or book a consultation?

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