Gourt > Health > Conditions and Diseases > Skin Disorders > Hair Loss > Alopecia Areata
Alopecia areata ("baldness in spots") is a form of hair loss from areas of the body, usually from the scalp. Because it causes bald spots on the head especially in the first stages, it is also called spot baldness. Hair loss can extend to eyebrows, eyelashes and facial and nasal hair and create more bald spots elsewhere in the body.
Types
- Alopecia areata monolocularis describes baldness in only one spot.
- Alopecia areata multilocularis refers to multiple areas of hair loss.
- If the patient loses all the hair on his/her scalp, the disease is then called Alopecia areata totalis.
- If all body hair, including pubic hair, is lost, the diagnosis then becomes Alopecia areata universalis.
- The disease may also be limited only to the beard (Alopecia areata barbae).
- A possible condition called Diffuse alopecia areata may cause a person with mixed grey and dark hairs to lose all their dark hairs at once due to a psychological trauma, causing the patient's hair to appear to have turned white overnight.
Causes
Alopecia areata is thought to be an autoimmune disease in which the body mistakenly treats its hair follicles as foreign tissue and suppresses or stops hair growth. It is not contagious but may be hereditary - there are a few recorded cases of babies being born with congenital alopecia areata. Stress has not been proven to be a crucial factor, although this is still disputed. More on [ Alopecia areata ]
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National Alopecia Areata Foundation - A non profit organization dedicated to providing information about alopecia areata. With support groups in the USA and contacts with similar support groups worldwide.
Meta Description: [ NAAF National Alopecia Areata Foundation Web Site ]
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Alopecia Areata Frequently Asked Questions - An extensive FAQ on alopecia areata from the Medical College of Georgia. Also access to an alopecia areata email support group list.
Alopecia Areata Support Community - An online support community for all sufferers of alopecia areata, totalis, and universalis. Offers links, message boards, and chat.
Meta Description: [ Alopecia Areata chat and support. Alopecia Areata Support Community, Alopecia Support Group, alopecia, alopecia areata, alopecia totalis, alopecia universalis, alopecia hair loss. This group has a 'zero tolerence' policy on spam violators will be banned. ]
Alopecia Areata: Clinical Features and Treatment Options in the 90's - A review by J. Shapiro MD including pictures of individuals treated with Diphencyprone.
Alopecia Information And Resources - Summaries on different hair loss conditions plus dermatological and alternative treatments. Includes abstracts of relevant articles from medical journals.
Meta Description: [ Alopecia Information and Resources at Follicle.com ]
Alopecia Online - Provides information, advice and support for people with Alopecia Areata, Alopecia Totalis and Alopecia Universalis.
Meta Description: [ Alopecia UK provides information, advice and support for people with experience of alopecia areata, alopecia totalis and alopecia universalis. Alopecia UK also works to raise awareness of alopecia areata and supports and funds research. ]
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American Academy of Dermatology - Alopecia areata, its symptoms, causes, research and treatments.
Delaware Valley Alopecia Support Group - Support and ideas for those with the condition of alopecia areata, alopecia totalis, and alopecia universalis.
Meta Description: [ Delaware Valley Alopecia Support Group. Facts about the hair condition alopecia areata.
Support group for those with alopecia areata, alopecia universalis, and alopecia totalis. ]
Harry's Alopecia Areata Page - Personal page from the Netherlands. Email list and chat about alopecia areata.
Meta Description: [ Personal site of Harry Bos in the Netherlands with information on hair loss from diseases such as Alopecia Areata. ]
M. D. Anderson Cancer Center - Information about researchers studying the genetic components of alopecia areata. Offers disease information and study details.
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Now and Before - Links, conferences, and treatments for alopecia areata.
The AlopeciaBoy Network - Contains information on alopecia areata, products, news updates and the personal story of one alopecian.
Meta Description: [ Enlightening information on alopecia from a young male point of view. ]
Wichita Alopecia Areata Support Group - Includes general information on condition, meeting schedule, and calendar of events.
Meta Description: [ Wichita Alopecia Areata Support Group.
Alopecia Areata- an auto-immune disease which causes loss of hair on the scalp and elsewhere. It occurs in both adults and children. This disease may have a profound effect on one's life and one's functional status both at work and at school. Alopecia Areat... ]
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