What is 'alopecia areata'?

What is 'alopecia areata'?

Marilyn Sherlock (Trichologist) gives expert video advice on: Will my hair grow back after suffering from alopecia areata? and more...

Alopecia areata is a rather disfiguring hair loss which normally starts in small patches, can spread over the entire scalp and can also damage hair growth of the eyelashes and eyebrows. It's an auto-immune disorder, which comes very suddenly, and can literally fall within a week or two of the first patch. The hair can be lost within weeks as opposed to other forms of hair loss which take months to occur.