What are these bald spots?
Alopecia areata is the name for a condition in which round patches of hair loss appear suddenly. The hair-growing tissue is attacked by the patient's own immune cells for unknown reasons. There are three stages: first, there is sudden hair loss, then the patches of hair loss enlarge, and last, new hair grows back. This process takes months, sometimes more than a year, but rarely does the hair never grow back.

What caused it?
We do not know why the immune cells attack the hair-growing tissue. Alopecia areata is not contagious, not caused by foods, and is not the result of nervousness. Alopecia areata sometimes runs in families.

How do I treat it?
Cortisone injections often stimulate hair regrowth. Multiple injections per patch are required once a month. The injections are uncomfortable. Cortisone injections only work in the areas that have been injected; the injections do not prevent new areas of hair loss. It generally takes one to two months after the injection before hair growth is visible. Some patients do not respond to any treatment. We cannot predict which patients will respond to treatment. Cortisone creams are also sometimes beneficial in the treatment of alopecia areata. For more information on Alopecia Areata, Alopecia Totalis and Alopecia Universalis: National Alopecia Areata Foundation.