Finding out more about Alopecia Areata, Alopecia Totalis and Alopecia Universalis

Alopecia is a general term referring to hair loss which usuallyaffects the scalp. However there are many different types ofAlopecia, all with different effects on the body and thatrequire different treatments. This article focuses on some ofthe most rapid and devastating types of Alopecia, namelyAlopecia Areata, Alopecia Totalis and Alopecia Universalis. So how prevalent are these types of Alopecia? Well according tothe National Alopecia Areata Foundation (NAAF) these common butvery challenging diseases affect approximately 1.7 percent ofthe population overall, including more than 4.7 million peoplein the United States alone. A figure of close to a million hasrecently been suggested for the United Kingdom population aloneand as we can see it's a lot more common than we think. These three types of Alopecia result in very different types ofhair loss and it is important to be able to distinguish betweenthem. The term Alopecia Areata is used to describe hair lossoccurring in patches anywhere on the body however this conditionalmost always occurs on the scalp. Alopecia Totalis refers tototal loss of the hair on the scalp and Alopecia Universalis,the most extreme form of Alopecia results in complete loss ofall hair on the body. The most current medical studies have concluded that thesethree types of Alopecia are caused by an abnormality in theimmune system. The result is the immune system attacksparticular tissues of the body. In Alopecia Areata, for as yetunknown reasons, the body's own immune system, attacks the hairfollicles and disrupts normal hair growth. There has been no scientific evidence to show that the diseaseis caused by nerves or stress and it has become obvious that thecondition isn't a classic nervous disorder. Alopecia sufferers'have no control over when attacks of Alopecia will strike and itis this totally unpredictable nature of the disease that makesit so hard to deal with. These forms of Alopecia have no major physical side effects andif sufferers are living a healthy lifestyle, eat well and don'tsmoke they will probably be in very good health. The onlynoticeable side affect with Alopecia is a stippling on the nailsin some people, similar to tiny dents or scratches and althougha small amount of people have nails that are severely distortedthis is rare. Other reports of side effects include itchingaround the areas of hair loss during the initial hair loss phasehowever this resides as time goes by. With regards to whether Alopecia is a hereditary condition,sometimes Alopecia can occur within family members, suggesting arole of genes and heredity. In fact about 25% of people withalopecia have a family history of the disorder. According to the NAAF if an adult over the age of thirtydevelops the condition then the risk of passing the condition onto another family member is reduced, however as most alopeciasufferers are children and young adults the risk is increased.Despite the increased risk only one in five sufferers' has otherfamily members with the disease. Regarding treatment of these types of Alopecia it is widelyrecognised that there is no known cure for the disease but thegood news is that hair growth can be stimulated by severaltreatments and can even occur after several years of extensivehair loss. Its unpredictable nature can even lead to spontaneousre-growth without treatment. This article should give you a good understanding of AlopeciaAreata, Alopecia Totalis and Alopecia Universalis. If you wouldlike to find out more about what treatments are available forany of these types of Alopecia visit http://www.help4alopecia.com.