Alopecia areata, commonly known as hair loss is an autoimmune disease characterised by non-scarring hair loss in single or multiple areas of the scalp, face or body. It is quite a common condition and about one person in 50 will experience an episode of alopecia areata. The scalp is most commonly affected. There are no symptoms associated with the hair loss and the scalp skin looks normal. New hair eventually grows back but it can take many months. Very rarely, alopecia areata can become much more extensive. In alopecia totalis there is complete loss of all scalp hair, whilst in alopecia universalis, there is complete loss of hair everywhere (eyebrows, eyelashes, beard, underarm and pubic hair). Fortunately, most people affected with alopecia areata experience only small patches of temporary hair loss. The condition is not life-threatening and does not cause pain but the cosmetic effects can be significant and there are often repeated episodes.
Doctors don't know why certain hair follicles are programmed to have a shorter growth period than others. However, several factors may influence hair loss:
Myth- Only Men Are Affected By Balding
Fact- Experiencing hair loss doesn’t indicate that there is something wrong with one of your ‘X’ chromosomes. It is actually pretty common for women to experience hair fall. In fact, 40% of women are affected by hair loss at some point in their lives.
Myth- Washing Your Hair Too Often Is The Problem
Fact- The next time someone gives you this little piece of unwanted advice, please feel free to laugh at them. Granted, washing your hair more than thrice a week is a bit excessive, but it does not cause hair loss.
Myth- Shaving Your Head Will Fix The Problem
Fact- if you’re expecting your hair to be thicker when it grows, you will be disappointed.
While the little things do matter, hair fall is often the result of a bigger problem. To understand why you are losing hair, you need to first understand how hair growth works. I’m not going to give you a biology lesson, but here’s a little bit of information that can help you understand the problem better.