Alopecia barbae is a type of alopecia areata that causes hair loss in the beard area due to an autoimmune response. It is not contagious and can occur in anyone, but is most common in adult men. The cause is unknown, but may be related to stress, genetics, or environmental factors. Hair may eventually regrow on its own or with treatment.
Alopecia barbae is a subtype of alopecia areata, an autoimmune disease that causes hair loss. Different types of alopecia areata are identified based on which part of the body the condition appears to affect. Specifically, alopecia barbae is when beard hair loss occurs.
This type of baldness is not a symptom of any other disease or disorder. As an autoimmune disease, it occurs because the immune system has mistaken the hair growing in the beard as an invading organism and has decided to attack the hair follicles to protect the body from this misidentified intruder. Alopecia barbae is not contagious and is not a painful condition. In some cases, hair will eventually start growing in the area where it was lost with or without treatment.
Being one of the most common causes of hair loss, most cases of alopecia areata involve baldness of the scalp. Anyone can develop alopecia areata at any age, but the alopecia barbae subtype is most often found in adult men. However, other subtypes of this condition can affect other parts of the body, such as the hairline that outlines the scalp and pubic areas.
Scientists who study hair loss aren’t sure why alopecia barbae affects some men and not others. There are some who believe it is related to stress, while others avoid this idea entirely. There is also research suggesting that some men may have a genetic predisposition to developing alopecia barbae or that environmental toxins, allergens, hormonal changes, as well as a fungal or viral infection may also contribute to the onset of beard hair loss in men. adults.
When alopecia occurs, the onset of spot baldness is usually sudden and unexpected. It is usually not accompanied by pain, scarring, or other physical symptoms other than beard hair loss, although some report feeling a slight itchy sensation or redness in the area when the condition first develops. Like other autoimmune diseases, inflammation occurs beneath the surface of the hair follicles but is rarely visible on top of the skin.
After alopecia barbae causes facial hair to fall out, what is left is a small patch of bare, smooth skin. In some men, these patches are temporary, and as the inflammation below the skin’s surface subsides, the missing beard hair begins a process of regrowth. In some men, alopecia barbae is recurrent. In men who experience this condition as a recurring condition, the areas of hair loss may become larger each time the condition occurs.
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