Alopecia Areata

Alopecia Areata is an autoimmune disorder in which the immune system mistakenly attacks hair follicles, producing discrete, round patches of hair loss on the scalp, beard, eyebrows or other body areas. The condition can appear at any age, often starts suddenly, and ranges from a single small patch to more extensive loss such as alopecia totalis (entire scalp) or alopecia universalis (complete body hair loss).

Diagnosis is usually clinical, sometimes supported by scalp examination tools or skin biopsy when atypical. Management focuses on controlling immune activity and stimulating regrowth with options that may include topical or intralesional corticosteroids, topical immunotherapy, contact sensitizers, and systemic treatments such as immunomodulators or JAK inhibitors in selected cases; outcomes vary and some people experience spontaneous regrowth while others have recurrent or persistent disease.