Id like to hear from anyone suffering from Alopecia Areata. Do you think stress is a factor?
Alopecia areata is a condition affecting humans, in which hair is lost from areas of the body, usually from the scalp. Because it causes bald spots on the scalp, especially in the first stages, it is sometimes called spot baldness. In 1%–2% of cases, the condition can spread to the entire scalp (Alopecia totalis) or to the entire epidermis (Alopecia universalis). Conditions resembling AA, and having a similar cause, occur also in other species. Alopecia areata is not contagious. It occurs more frequently in people who have affected family members, suggesting that heredity may be a factor. In addition, it is slightly more likely to occur in people who have relatives with autoimmune diseases. The condition is thought to be an autoimmune disorder in which the body attacks its own hair follicles and suppresses or stops hair growth. There is evidence that T cell lymphocytes cluster around these follicles, causing inflammation and subsequent hair loss. An unknown environmental trigger such a
