Alopecia areata is a common autoimmune skin disease that causes hair loss, and the emotional toll can be devastating. Currently there is no cure, but the condition can be managed well, especially if treated early.
Emma Guttman-Yassky, MD, PhD, Waldman Professor and System Chair, the Kimberly and Eric J. Waldman Department of Dermatology, and Director of the Alopecia Center of Excellence at Mount Sinai, shares six things you may not know about alopecia areata.
1. It’s an autoimmune disease
Alopecia Areata is an autoimmune skin disease that causes hair loss on your scalp, face, and sometimes other areas of the body. Your body’s immune system attacks the hair follicles, resulting in increased hair loss. The onset is often sudden, with clumps of hair being shed, and circular bald spots may form.
2. It’s common
About 7 million people in the United States— and 147 million people worldwide—are affected by alopecia areata.
3. It affects all kinds of people
People of all ages, both sexes, and all ethnic groups can develop alopecia areata. It often first appears during childhood and can be different for everyone who has it.
4. It’s complex
Alopecia areata is very complex, and may run in families. However, multiple factors, both genetic and environmental, are thought to trigger the disease. It is not just a matter of heredity.
5. There are three types of alopecia areata
- alopecia areata (patchy)—one or more coin-sized patches on the skin or body
- alopecia areata totalis—complete hair loss on the scalp
- alopecia areata universalis—total hair loss on the scalp and body
6. Other forms of alopecia include:
- Scarring alopecia: This includes frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA), which is hair loss on the front and sides of the scalp and may also affect the eyebrows; lichen planopilaris (LPP), an uncommon condition producing smooth white patches of hair loss on the scalp that is slowly progressive; and central cicatricial centrifugal alopecia (CCCA), a unique form of scarring alopecia affecting mostly black women on the crown of the scalp
- Male Pattern Baldness: Hair loss usually follows a pattern of receding hairline and hair thinning on the crown. It is related to your genes and male sex hormones.
There is no cure for alopecia areata, but it now is emerging as a manageable condition that doctors can treat effectively, which can allow you to grow back hair. Mount Sinai is also conducting studies in scarring alopecia conditions that induce hair regrowth.
“At the Alopecia Center of Excellence at Mount Sinai, we are conducting clinical trials offering our patients access to new therapies such as novel JAK inhibitors and other new treatments, many of which are not available anywhere else,” says Dr. Guttman.
To make an appointment to see one of our team of Alopecia Areata experts, call 212-241-HAIR or email alopecia@mountsinai.org