![]() ![]() Research from studies of twins and families suggests that there’s a large genetic component to alopecia totalis and universalis, with people more likely to develop this condition if they have a family history of autoimmune hair loss. While the precise cause of alopecia universalis isn’t known, experts have identified various factors that may contribute to the development of this type of complete hair loss. In very rare cases, alopecia universalis can develop before birth - a condition referred to as alopecia universalis congenita. Hair that grows back white or gray before regaining its natural colorĭevelopment of ridges and pits in the nails Sudden hair loss in round or oval-shaped patchesĬonjoined patches of hair loss that form larger bald spots Less than 10 percent of all people with alopecia areata go on to develop alopecia totalis, with an even smaller percentage developing more advanced alopecia universalis over time.Ĭommon symptoms of alopecia areata include: What Causes Alopecia Universalis?Īt the moment, researchers aren’t aware of precisely why alopecia universalis and other forms of alopecia areata develop.Īlopecia universalis usually begins as alopecia areata. In the entire United States, experts think fewer than 200,000 people are affected by this type of alopecia. Experts think this type of hair loss develops when your immune system identifies, targets and damages your hair follicles, causing your hair to stop growing normally.Ĭompared to male pattern baldness and other types of hair loss, alopecia universalis isn’t very common. Unlike most cases of alopecia areata, which involve small patches of hair loss on the scalp, it can involve complete loss of your scalp hair, facial hair and body hair.Īlopecia universalis is also referred to as “alopecia areata universalis.” When this form of hair loss affects your entire scalp but doesn’t cause significant hair loss on your entire body, it’s commonly referred to as alopecia totalis (AT).Īlopecia universalis and alopecia totalis are both forms of autoimmune hair loss. Nail changes such as ridges and pits occur in some people, especially those who have more extensive hair loss.Alopecia universalis is an uncommon, advanced form of alopecia areata. The hair tends to regrow on its own more fully in people with: In most cases, the hair regrows, but there may be subsequent episodes of hair loss. There is a progression to complete loss of body hair, a type of the disease called alopecia universalis. ![]() ![]() In rare cases, hair is eventually lost from the entire scalp, called alopecia totalis. ![]() Small patches join to form larger ones.Sometimes hair regrows in the first patch while new bare patches are forming. It may look white or gray at first but may regain its natural color over time. When a bare patch develops, it is hard to predict what will happen next. Some people say they feel tingling, burning, or itching on patches of skin right before the hair falls out. There is usually no sign of a rash, redness, or scarring on the bare patches. Around the edges of the patch, there are often short broken hairs or “exclamation point” hairs that are narrower at their base than their tip. People with the disease are usually healthy and have no other symptoms.Īlopecia areata typically begins with sudden loss of round or oval patches of hair on the scalp, but any part of the body may be affected, such as the beard area in men, or the eyebrows or eyelashes. It is possible that emotional stress or an illness can bring on alopecia areata in people who are at risk, but in most cases, there is no obvious trigger.Īlopecia areata primarily affects hair, but in some cases, there are nail changes as well. People with certain autoimmune diseases, such as psoriasis, thyroid disease, or vitiligo, are more likely to get alopecia areata, as are those with allergic conditions such as hay fever. Many of the genes they have found are important for the functioning of the immune system. Scientists have linked a number of genes to the disease, which suggests that genetics play a role in alopecia areata. If you have a close family member with the disease, you may have a higher risk of getting it, but for many people, there is no family history. When it occurs in children younger than age 10, it tends to be more extensive and progressive. The onset can be at any age, but most people get it in their teens, twenties, or thirties. Men and women get it equally, and it affects all racial and ethnic groups. ![]()
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