Is Alopecia Areata Permanent? Understanding Hair Loss & Treatment Options

The most common question regarding alopecia is how permanent the hairless patches will be. The occurrence of this disease is sudden and unpredictable. Alopecia areata sometimes resolves on its own without treatment but sometimes the hair loss is permanent. People with bald patches on the scalp might experience hair re-growth within a certain period. This condition is occasionally associated with other medical problems. It affects both men and women.

Alopecia areata is rare before 3 years of age. (Source: Medicine Net) And most often, the bald areas regrow their hair spontaneously. There is no such timeline as to whether alopecia areata is permanent or not because this condition is caused by an abnormality in the immune system which damages the hair follicles. There seems to be a significant inherited predisposition for the development of alopecia areata. Alopecia or hair loss might be simply triggered by over-processing of the hair or too-tight hairstyles which pull the hair. Diseases like diabetes and lupus are also known to trigger bald patches occurring mainly on the scalp, known as alopecia areata.

Alopecia symptoms

Alopecia areata symptoms are as follows –

• Patchy hair loss
• idespread dramatic thinning of the scalp hair
• Hair loss on the beard, moustache, eyebrow and other parts of the body
• In some cases, fingernails and toenails become red, brittle and pitted

If you start to see alopecia symptoms, it is advisable to get medical attention.