What is alopecia areata and how does it manifest itself?
Alopecia areata is a pathology that causes hair loss when the immune system attacks the hair follicles. Patients may have one or more episodes during their lifetime. Recovery is unpredictable, as there are some patients who grow their hair back completely, but others do not.
This disease can begin at any age, but most people have it in their teens, twenties or thirties. When it occurs in children under 10 years of age, it tends to be more extensive and progressive.
There are three main types of alopecia areata. In the most common type, hair loss occurs in one or more coin-sized patches on the scalp or other parts of the body.
How is alopecia areata treated?
There is currently no cure for alopecia areata, but there are treatments that help hair grow back faster. In most cases, the hair grows back, but it is also possible for it to fall out again. In some people there are changes in the nails, becoming ridged and pitted nails, especially in those who have hair loss on more parts of the body.
