Alopecia Areata Symptoms: Recognizing the Early Signs
Alopecia Areata causes patchy hair loss or total hair loss on the scalp and other body parts.
This sudden hair loss can also affect a person’s self-esteem.
A study by Marahatta et al. showed that 70% of Areata patients might have anxiety or depression.
Hence, knowing the symptoms can allow people to find the right treatment option.
Read along to learn more about Alopecia Areata symptoms and how they impact people’s lives.
Hair loss on the scalp
Alopecia Areata is an autoimmune disorder that attacks the hair follicles like an infection.
It causes inflammation in the hair follicle that leads to an early fall out of the hair causing hair loss.
These hair losses on the scalp can be at different levels and can result in total hair loss from the scalp leading to Alopecia Totalis.
Patchy hair loss
This is the most common sign of hair loss in Areata patients.
The hair loss occurs in round or oval, coin-sized patches resulting in bald patches on the scalp.
These bald patches affect only a limited area of the scalp, and hair regrowth occurs in around one year.
The affected areas are usually skin-colored but may have a peach color. Occasionally, there are scattered short-colored or white hairs within the hairless patch.
Studies have concluded that patchy hair loss is one of the early stage Alopecia Areata symptoms.
Hair loss in bands
In rare cases, studies have also reported hair loss in bands as one of the Alopecia Areata symptoms.
The patients have observed hair loss that started from the vertex and linearly progressed towards the temporal.
These bands can occur on different parts of the scalp.
It might run horizontally or vertically from the frontal to the center of the scalp.
Widespread hair loss
In more severe cases, hair loss is widespread around the scalp.
Alopecia Areata, in this case, starts with hair thinning and leads to gradual hair loss on the scalp.
In these cases, hair loss occurs widely on the scalp leaving just a few hair strands behind.
Hair loss in other body parts
Besides hair loss on the scalp, Alopecia areata symptoms also include hair loss from other body parts.
A study by the FDA reported that AA patients experienced hair loss in other parts of the body.
These include arms, legs, eyebrows, eyelashes, beard, and nose hair.
They reported significant hair loss in the following areas,
Beard
Alopecia Areata symptoms in males have commonly reported patchy hair loss on their beards.
This condition is called Alopecia Barbae. Hair loss generally occurs across the jawline in small round patches.
As the hair loss progresses, these circles can also overlap each other. People have also reported white hair around the round patches.
Eyebrow
There is evidence showing Alopecia Areata can also cause hair loss in eyebrows.
The hair loss in eyebrows can be seen as exclamation mark hairs, tapered hairs, broken hairs, and black dots.
Eyelash
A small review study on eyelash hair loss due to Areata shows eyelash hair loss in 46% of patients.
Upper eyelid hair loss was more common than lower ones. The hair loss is temporary, and patients experience regrowth in around 28 months.
Nose hair
In cases of Alopecia Universalis(total hair loss in the whole body), hair loss of the nose hair also occurs.
The nose hair loss can cause dryness and irritation in the nose. It also makes the patients vulnerable to air-borne allergies and infections.
Effect on nails
Besides hair loss in different body parts, AA also physically affects the nails.
Nail changes have a 30% prevalence in Alopecia Areata patients.
Pitting, longitudinal ridges, and red nails are common Alopecia Areata symptoms for nails.
Patients have also reported conditions such as Onychomycosis and Trachyonychia on the nails.
Sunburns
Due to bald patches on the scalp, adults, and children have reported extreme sensitivity to the sun.
The same study by the FDA showed that people with AA experience sunburns. This happens even after wearing sunscreen.
Anxiety and Depression
Hair loss due to Alopecia can significantly affect one’s life. The life-altering disorder can have a psychological impact on one’s health.
Hair loss in visible areas of the body like eyebrows, eyelashes, and scalp can also affect people mentally.
“Everything on your body is there for a reason, including your nose and eye hair, which help filter out impurities. When you lose this hair, it can lead to different physical problems. These are things you won’t necessarily think about if you don’t have alopecia areata.”
Garry Sherwood, a communication officer at National Alopecia Areata Foundation, (NAAF)
A short yet extensive study on patients of AA shows that 66.7% reported anxiety and 73.3% reported cases of depression.
People report low self-esteem, shame, anxiety in the social construct, and sleep disorders.
Other Comorbidities
Areata is also associated with other comorbidities such as,
- AA causes skin sensitivity that leads to hives or rashes on exposure to certain lotions or soap
- Excessive sweating is also observed in their ability to perform physical activities
- People have also reported Hashimoto’s Syndrome
- Eczema and other skin conditions, such as chronic hives
- Conditions such as Asthma, Anemia, Celiac disease, Endometriosis, and irritable bowel syndrome
Living with Alopecia Areata
The unpredictable hair loss and regrowth cycle of Alopecia Areata can cause exhaustion in patients.
Patients find it challenging to cope with the ever-changing Alopecia Areata symptoms.
Physical impact
Areata patients report facing difficulties in daily life as,
- Facing problems in performing simple daily tasks due to sweating
- Wearing helmets due to sweating
- Runny nose and frequent sneezing
- Irritation in the eyes due to debris, water, and sweating
- Vulnerable to sunburns and Eczema
- Challenges while swimming because water goes inside the eyes easily
Psychological impact
People who suffer hair loss due to AA can also experience Anxiety and Depression.
The psychological impacts of Areata include,
- Facing social stigma and isolation
- Impacts on relationships
- Low self-esteem and confidence
People can find support through organizations such as NAAF and CANAAF.
They work to create an empathetic community for Areata patients.
Conclusion
Sudden hair loss is the first and most common sign of Alopecia Areata.
Other symptoms might be nail ridges, sunburns, Eczema, and total hair loss from the body is also observed.
However, most people with AA don’t have any noticeable symptoms besides hair loss and are in good health overall.
If you start experiencing any of the symptoms listed above, contact your doctor as soon as possible.
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