THE CAUSES OF ALOPECIA AREATA AND THOSE THAT ARE PRONE TO HAVING IT

CAUSES OF ALOPECIA AREATA

Alopecia areata is one of the autoimmune diseases. An autoimmune disease is a disease that occurs when the immune system attacks the body it is supposed to protect. Alopecia areata is a result of the immune system attacking the hair follicles. The occurrence of this condition is usually influenced by a person’s genes and other factors.

The presence of alopecia areata increases a person’s risk of developing:

• Asthma, atopic dermatitis, other allergies (e.g. eczema) and hay fever (or other nasal allergies).
• Other autoimmune diseases, e.g. vitiligo (appearance of lighter skin patches) or thyroid diseases
• Having a relative who will have an autoimmune disease (like type 1 diabetes), asthma or allergies.

THOSE THAT ARE PRONE TO HAVING THIS DISEASE

Alopecia areata is a genetic disease, and those that are prone to developing this disease are those that have relatives who have had the disease. This disease can occur at any age, and some people start noticing theirs from childhood.