ALOPECIA AREATA

Patchy baldness (alopecia means baldness and areata means occurring in patches). The problem typically begins with patchy hair loss on the scalp and sometimes progresses to complete baldness and even loss of body hair. Although alopecia areata affects 2.5 million people in the United States alone, little is known about its underlying causes. Stress, the immune system, and several different genes may play a part in causing alopecia areata.