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Alopecia Areata

By

The Manual's Editorial Staff

Reviewed/Revised Dec 2022
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What is alopecia areata?

  • Your hair falls out in patches for no clear reason

  • Alopecia areata is common and happens most often in children and young adults

  • The hair loss is usually from the scalp or beard

  • Your fingernails may become rough and pitted

What causes alopecia areata?

What are the symptoms of alopecia areata?

Alopecia areata causes:

  • Round patches of missing hair—patches can be small or you can lose all the hair on your scalp

You may notice short, broken hairs at the edges of the patches. You may have rough and pitted nails. There are no other symptoms, and you otherwise feel well.

How do doctors treat alopecia areata?

Alopecia areata sometimes gets better without treatment. The hair usually grows back in several months. If you have widespread hair loss, it’s less likely that your hair will regrow.

Doctors treat alopecia areata with:

  • Corticosteroids injected at the bald spots

  • Medicine (minoxidil) applied to the bald spots

  • Sometimes, chemicals applied to the bald spot to mildly irritate it (this can cause hair growth)

NOTE: This is the Consumer Version. DOCTORS: VIEW PROFESSIONAL VERSION
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