More Than My Hair is dedicated to promoting Alopecia Awareness and providing support in an effort to build self-esteem and educate the public.

What is Alopecia Areata?
Alopecia Areata is an autoimmune disease that causes hair loss in children and adults ranging from mild patches to total loss of scalp and body hair.  It affects both sexes.  There is no known cause or cure for this disease which affects 2% of the population. Normally the immune system protects the body against infection and disease.  In an autoimmune disease, the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks your own body. In people affected with Alopecia Areata the immune system attacks the hair follicles.

Who Gets Alopecia Areata?
Anyone can have Alopecia Areata. It often begins in childhood. There is a slightly increased risk of having the disease if you have a close family member with the disease.

What Causes Alopecia Areata?
Alopecia Areata is an autoimmune disease. Normally the immune system protects the body against infection and disease. In an autoimmune disease, the body's immune system mistakenly attacks some part of your own body. In Alopecia Areata, the immune system attacks the hair follicles.

The cause is not known. Scientists think that a person's genes may play a role. For people whose genes put them at risk for the disease, some type of trigger starts the attack on the hair follicles. The triggers may be a virus or something in the person's environment.