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There are many suspected Alopecia Areata causes but researchers have yet to concur a particular trigger that initiates the development of this condition. One thing is for sure, they do know that the sudden hair loss is caused by your own immune system that surrounds and attacks the hair follicles.

The main question that researchers are trying to answer is what triggers the immune system to behave in such a way. Since the discovery of this unique hair loss condition long time ago, experts are still trying to decipher and looking to find a final answer to this centuries old problem.

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A Long Time Search for an Answer

Alopecia Areata has been haunting a myriad range of people for a very long time. Whether royalty or a simple peasant, Europeans or Asians, healthy or sick, this disease can occur to anyone, anywhere and anytime.

Although Alopecia Areata was given many names in the past since the time of Hippocrates, the name was actually coined in France in 1760. Still, for centuries Alopecia Areata has been a subject of curiosity to many scholars and researchers due to its strange and sudden eruption of hair loss.

There have been many suggestions for the possible Alopecia Areata causes. Early medical scientists had first blamed this condition on parasites and fungal manifestation due to the fact that the growing bald spots closely resembled the pattern common to these type of infections. After scientists were unable to inoculate and find the parasites thought responsible for the hair loss, they decided to look for answers elsewhere.

Another theory relates the disease to a nervous system disorder where chronic stress or sudden trauma can be the possible factor that ignites the sudden hair loss. Although there has yet to be groundbreaking evidence proving the accuracy of this speculation, scientists knew that stress can be a factor for many medical conditions and therefore they cannot deduce is as a possible cause for Alopecia Areata as well.

By the 20th century, new knowledge in medical science had scientists theorizing new possible Alopecia Areata causes. With the advent of more medical breakthroughs and technologies in understanding the human cells behavior, researchers were able to pinpoint the immune cells that are the culprit for the hair loss. The issue remains on why are those cells present and attacking the hair follicles in the first place?

Some scientists suggested that contracting a viral infection or disease is a possible trigger for the autoimmune response. Some argued that it was related to a toxic reaction or poisoning while others said it was indirectly caused by a pre-existing autoimmune disorder. Until now, the debates and suggestions remained and it’s widely assumed that Alopecia Areata is a multi cause autoimmune condition contributed by a variety of triggers.

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Currently Speculated Alopecia Areata Causes

At the present moment, researchers have pinned down the potential Alopecia Areata causes to the following circumstances

• Long term chronic stress
  Not a direct causative agent for AA, researchers believe long term stress can be a catalyst to people that are prone to the condition. That means if the person is predisposed to have genes that can trigger AA, stress can be a trigger for the condition. Prolonged levels of stress are known to increase the risk of genetically influenced diseases.
• Sudden extreme stress or trauma
  A sudden shock or physical trauma can be a cause of sudden hair loss like Telogen Effluvium. A huge impact on your body and mind set off abnormal reactions to your immune system as well. Physical stress can also initiate the release of Heat Shock Proteins which can influence your immune system as well.
• Genetic predisposition
  Alopecia Areata is more common with people that have family history of this condition. This circumstance suggests that this condition can be passed down from the family tree. The disease’s persistence and reoccurrence chance are also said to be largely influenced by a person’s genetic makeup.
• Viral/bacterial infection
  Virus infection to the immune system like HIV and other bacterial infections that can manipulate the immune system can be a probable trigger of Alopecia Areata.
• Pregnancy Stress
  Pregnant women are more susceptible to this disease during pregnancy due to hormonal fluctuations. Pregnancy stress and hormonal changes can also have a huge impact on hair growth and can trigger an autoimmune disorder. Puberty and menopause have also been suggested as a time for potential Alopecia Areata onset and remission.
• Allergies
  An allergic shock like asthma attacks, rhinitis and food allergy can also increase the risk the development of Alopecia Areata. Studies have showed higher incidence of AA occurrence with people that have previously faced an allergic reaction. Researches also show that Caucasians have a higher incidence of allergic linked AA than Indians. This might suggest that racial and cultural differences can influence the outcome of AA.
• Chemicals and medications
  Chemical exposures or certain medications are suggested to be one of the most common Alopecia Areata causes. Chemotherapy drugs, anti-virals, thyroid medications and hormone modifiers like birth contraceptives are listed as potential AA causing agents.
• Seasonal changes
  Changes in weather and seasons seem to influence the incidence of AA. A large number of people with AA noticed that the hair loss fluctuates with the seasons. Some find the hair loss much more serious during winter and sees regrowth during the summer season.
• Other Autoimmune Condition
  Alopecia Areata has been frequently reported with people that is suffering from other autoimmune conditions like Thyroiditis, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) Rheumatoid Arthiritis, Sjogren’s Syndrome and also Psoriasis.

Although the list above is marked as the most possible Alopecia Areata causes, there might be other unknown triggers that can cause this autoimmune disorder. As of today, no one can yet predict the course and outcome of AA therefore it’s very hard to prevent the condition from happening.

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Treating Alopecia Areata

Alopecia Areata treatments haven’t been making much progress in providing a solid way in stopping the condition. There are many treatments for Alopecia Areata available but most of these treatments do not offer a cure but instead to control and reduce the effects of the autoimmune condition.

Therefore, up till now these treatments can only act as supportive therapies and cannot guarantee hair regrowth. Although certain treatments are quite effective for many cases of Alopecia Areata, people facing a more severe AA condition often do not respond well to them. Anyhow, the efficacy of the treatments solely depends on the individual so it’s hard to say whether the treatment is effective in whole.

See what the available Alopecia Areata Treatments are today.

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