Losing hair? You may have Alopecia!

Jada Pinkett Smith and her problem with Alopecia made recent international news when her husband Will Smith smacked Chris Rock on the Oscar stage for making fun of her ailment. The episode is now firmly buried under the pages of Hollywood history. But the question remains. So what exactly is Alopecia?

Alopecia, also known as alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease that can occur in both men and women, but it is more common among men. The immune system of an individual with alopecia attacks their hair follicles. That results in decreased size and length of hair, slow hair growth or stopping growing  altogether. The degree to which this affects an individual differs from person to person. Some people lose hair from a few spots and while others lose it all. Sometimes, hair can grow back while in some cases, hair grows but fall again.

There are various types of alopecia conditions such as:
Alopecia areata totalis: According to WebMD, a health website, it is the most common type of Alopecia. It is a condition in which an individual loses all the hair on their head.
Alopecia areata Universalis: In this type, the person will lose hair from the entire body.
Diffuse alopecia areata: In this type, you will not lose hair in patches, instead hair will start thinning.
Ophiasis alopecia areata: It causes hair loss in a band shape around  the sides and back of your head.

Also read | This summer, take care of your hair!

The exact causes of the disease have not been discovered yet but experts reveal it can occur due to genetic reasons, stress, nutritional deficiency, post-pregnancy and hormones.

Here are some symptoms poiting towards Alopecia.

You may notice small bald patches on your scalp or other parts of your body such as the chest, legs or back, which may grow gradually.
You may also notice hair growing back in one area and falling out from some other.
You lose a lot of hair over a short period of time
More hair loss in cold weather
Fingernails and toenails become red, brittle, and pitted.

Experts say that regrowth of hair is possible with correct measures and diagnosis. There are treatments available to stimulate hair growth.