I. Definition:

Alopecia areata is the name for a condition in which round patches of hair loss appear suddenly. The hair-growing tissue is attacked by the patient's own immune cells for unknown reasons. There are three stages: first, there is sudden hair loss, then the patches of hair loss enlarge, and last, new hair grows back. This process takes months, sometimes more than a year, but rarely does the hair never grow back.

II. Causes:

• We do not know why the immune cells attack the hair-growing tissue.
• Alopecia areata is not contagious, not caused by foods, and is not the result of nervousness.
• Alopecia areata sometimes runs in families.

III. Treatment:

• Many people have achieved success with treatments such as Provillus, an all-natural alopecia solution for men and women.
• Cortisone injections can also stimulate hair regrowth. Twenty to thirty injections per patch are required once a month. The injections are uncomfortable. Cortisone injections only work in the areas that have been injected; the injections do not prevent new areas of hair loss. It generally takes one to two months after the injection before hair growth is visible.
• Some patients do not respond to any treatment. We cannot predict which patients will respond to treatment.
• Cortisone creams are also sometimes beneficial in the treatment of alopecia areata