Explainer: what causes alopecia areata and can you treat this type of hair loss?
- Written by Rodney Sinclair, Professor of Dermatology, University of Melbourne
Alopecia is the medical term for hair loss and comes from the Greek word alōpekía referring to the skin condition, mange, in foxes. Alopecia areata causes a unique form of hair loss different to the more common age-related male and female pattern hair loss.
It’s also the most common autoimmune disease (when the body’s...