What are These Bald Spots on My Head?
When you first noted the bald spot in your scalp, you thought the hair would eventually grow back. After all, you thought you were too young to be losing hair. And you felt completely healthy. Back then, your bald spot was just about the size of a quarter. Now, it has enlarged to twice that, and you’re afraid it’s getting bigger. Is it time to consult a doctor?What is Alopecia Areata?You may have what is known as Alopecia Areata. Normally, your immune system produces antibodies to kill microorganisms that try to invade your body and cause illness. With Alopecia Areata, these antibodies mistakenly attack your own hair follicles. Your hair follicles are damaged, causing a decrease in hair production, and thus resulting to alopecia or hair loss. You may have a single smooth round patch or a confluence of round patches on your scalp. The bald spot is neithe fibretrim r itchy nor painful, and it is well-delineated. Most of the time, you don’t feel other symptoms. In severe cases however, Alopecia Areata leads to complete baldness.Who can have Alopecia Areata?An estimated 4 million Americans are affected with Alopecia Areata. Males and females are equally affected. The age of onset is usually during childhood or early adulthood. Doctors still cannot fully explain why people get Alopecia Areata, although heredity is a likely culprit. If one twin has the disease, there’s a 55% chance that the identical twin will have it too. You also are more prone to have the illness if you have a relative who got his or her bald spot before 30 years old.While Alopecia Areata is not life-threatening, it can be devastating to those afflicted with the disease. Your bald spot may cause you to lose self-confidence in your daily activities.