What Is Alopecia Areata — And What Can You Do About It?
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You spot a small round patch. It wasn’t there last week, maybe it’s stress. You try not to panic. But then another one appears. And another. The anxiety sets in:
“Am I going to go bald? Will my hair ever grow back?”
Hair loss is emotional, personal, and often completely misunderstood, especially when it appears suddenly and in patches. If you’ve recently noticed coin-sized areas of baldness appearing out of nowhere, there’s a good chance you’re dealing with a condition called alopecia areata.
What Is Alopecia Areata?
Alopecia areata is an autoimmune condition that causes the body’s immune system to attack its own hair follicles. The result? Sudden, smooth, circular bald patches, typically on the scalp, beard, or eyebrows. These patches can develop quickly, often overnight, and tend to feel flat and non-inflamed, with no scaling or redness.
It can affect anyone, at any age, and often appears in otherwise healthy individuals. In most cases, it presents as patchy hair loss, but there are also subtypes that affect larger areas:
Alopecia areata – one or more patches of hair loss
Ophiasis – hair loss that forms a band around the sides and lower back of the scalp
Alopecia totalis – complete loss of all scalp hair
Alopecia universalis – total loss of all body hair, including eyebrows and lashes
Diffuse alopecia areata – sudden thinning all over the scalp (can resemble telogen effluvium)
The severity and pattern can vary from person to person, and the course of the condition is often unpredictable. Some people only ever experience one episode, while others may go through repeated cycles of shedding and regrowth.
What Causes Alopecia Areata — And Why It’s Often Multifactorial
There’s a popular belief that stress alone causes alopecia areata, but it’s rarely that simple. In most cases, it’s a multifactorial condition — meaning several factors come together at once to trigger it.
Common contributors include:
Physical or emotional stress (bereavement, burnout, anxiety)
Recent viral illness
Low ferritin or iron deficiency
Vitamin D or B12 deficiency
Zinc imbalance
Autoimmune predisposition
Gut health issues or malabsorption
Hormonal disruption (e.g. perimenopause)
Sudden weight loss or crash dieting
Sleep disruption
Dietary changes, under-eating, or low protein
Hair is the second-fastest growing cell in the body and also one of the first to shut down when the body is under pressure. That’s why alopecia areata is often a warning sign that something deeper needs attention.
Getting to the root of it requires an individual approach, not a generic treatment plan. These triggers are often unique to each person, which is why expert diagnosis and tailored support are so important.
Will My Hair Grow Back? Understanding Spontaneous Recovery
Here’s the part most people want to know — will it come back?
The encouraging news is that in over 34–50% of cases, hair can grow back spontaneously within the first year, even without any formal treatment. That’s because the hair follicle is not destroyed, just placed in an extended resting phase.
This is thanks in part to something called immune privilege. There’s a specific area of the follicle known as the bulge region, it holds the stem cells that drive new growth. This part is protected from immune attack in most cases. That’s why, even in severe cases, there’s still the potential for regrowth, unlike with scarring alopecias, where follicles are permanently damaged.
However, spontaneous regrowth is more likely when:
The trigger has been removed
There’s no ongoing immune attack
The patch is small or hasn’t spread
You’ve addressed lifestyle and nutritional imbalances
The sooner you get to the underlying cause, the more likely the hair will return naturally and stay that way.
Treatment Options — From Patience to PRP
If your patches have been present for a while, or new ones continue to appear, you may start exploring treatments. But remember: no treatment works if the underlying causes haven’t been addressed.
Options may include:
Topical steroids (prescription-only)
Minoxidil
Immunotherapy creams (to redirect the immune response)
PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma)
Microneedling
Low-level laser therapy (LLLT)
Lifestyle and nutritional correction
What works for one person may not work for another. That’s why a personalised plan, based on your history, symptoms, and blood results, gives the best outcome.
I often work with patients to correct the foundation first, before moving to advanced treatments. That approach can save time, money, and emotional energy.
Real Story — From Multiple Patches to Full Recovery
A male patient came to see me in March 2024, distressed after discovering several smooth bald patches had developed on his scalp. We took a step back and focused on lifestyle and daily habits, without any treatment to begin with.
Over the following months, we addressed multiple contributing factors. These included his eating routines, sleeping patterns, and daily stress triggers, all of which were unique to him.
By December 2024, only one patch remained, and that’s when we decided to begin PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma) treatment. He completed three sessions between December and mid-February 2025, and by April 2025, his hair had fully regrown.
This story is a good example of what’s possible when you take a holistic, stepwise approach and wait for the right time to begin treatment.
Why Seeing a Specialist Matters More Than Googling Products
Alopecia areata can look simple on the surface, but there’s a lot going on underneath.
And what many people don’t realise is that scarring alopecias, such as lichen planopilaris or frontal fibrosing alopecia, can sometimes mimic the patchy appearance of alopecia areata, especially in early stages.
That’s why getting a professional diagnosis is so important. Seeing a trichologist means:
You get the correct diagnosis
You understand your individual triggers
You can avoid unnecessary or incorrect treatments
You get expert support for lifestyle, nutrition, and topical care
Google can’t tell you whether a patch is inflammatory, autoimmune, hormonal, or nutritional, but I can help you find out.
Feeling Lost With Patchy Hair Loss? Let’s Take a Proper Look
You don’t need to panic, and you don’t need to guess.
Alopecia areata can be frightening, but with the right support, it’s often manageable, and in many cases, reversible. If you’re worried about new patches, unclear diagnoses, or don’t know where to start, let’s begin with a conversation.
I offer calm, in-depth consultations designed to look at the whole picture, from your scalp to your sleep, your diet to your daily life.
You don’t need to figure this out on your own.
When you’re ready, I’m here to help.
