Alopecia areata is actually relatively common, affecting around one per cent of people, primarily young women and children. It is an auto immune disorder, which means the body’s own immune system attacks the follicles, which then leads to loss of hair.
However, as the attacked follicles merely enter the rest phase of the growth cycle, they are not actually damaged, which means that hair regrowth is possible. The follicle remains and may eventually return to a growth phase if conditions are right.
The downside of this is that alopecia areata sufferers are occasionally given false dawns, where hair starts to grow only to fall out again. The condition is unpredictable and this can be the most challenging part for some people.
If you think that you have alopecia areata, you should first make an appointment with your GP or with a dermatologist. They are better placed to diagnose you and you can then try and decide how to treat the condition. As part of the diagnosis, they may take a small biopsy and there are a number of other tests which may be carried out.