What are the types of alopecia areata?

Many Different Forms of Alopecia Areata

Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease that causes hair loss. There are many different forms of the condition although most affected people experience ‘patchy’ alopecia areata whereby 1 or more patches develop on the scalp. When just a single patch develops, the term alopecia areata uniloculiaris is used. When 2 or more patches develop, we use the term alopecia areata multilocularis.

Together, most patients with alopecia areata unilocularis and multilocularis are classifed as having mild disease which means that less than 25 % of hair has been lost from the scalp. Overall, about 30% of patients with alopecia area will experience moderate and severe forms and many will still experienced regrowth with treatment.

How common are mild moderate and severe forms of AA?

Out of every 100 patients who develop alopecia areata, about 2/3 will regrow hair back spontaneously by 1 year. About 40 % of these are individuals with alopecia areata unilocularis and 27 % are multilocularis. About 33 % of patients with alopecia areata will not experience spontaneous regrowth by the end of the first year. These include patients with alopecai totals (AT), alopecia universals (AU) and patients with relapsing alopecia areata (RR).