General Information

The word alopecia comes from the Greek 'alopex' which is literally translated as 'fox's disease'. However today alopecia areata is defined as hair loss in patches.

Definition

Alopecia is defined as a hair loss disease that effects men, women and children. The onset of hair loss is often sudden, random and frequently recurrent. While the disease itself is not damaging to the person's health, coping with hair loss can prove challenging.

Epidemiology

Prevalence figures show that alopecia affects approximately 1.7 percent of the population, including more than 4 million people in the United States and with both men and women being equally affected. About 25% of patients have a family history of the disorder (Bertolino, 2000).

What Causes Alopecia Areata?

The exact cause of alopecia areata is presently not known, although it is generally agreed that it is a disease of the autoimmune system. In addition there is believed to be a genetic component in some cases and some studies have shown a link with stress.

In alopecia, the affected hair follicles are mistakenly attacked by a person's own immune system (white blood cells), possibly due to chemicals called cytokines, resulting in the arrest of the anagen (hair growth) stage and a move to the telogen (resting) phase where the hairs are then abruptly shed.

Alopecia UK is a registered charity No. 1111304