Nails may have a stippled "beaten copper" appearance with alopecia areata. Alopecia areata typically presents with sudden circular areas of hair loss without any other skin changes. This image displays hair follicles that are still present with some starting to regrow hair with slender, short stubs. This image displays a child with multiple areas of hair loss: behind the ear, at the frontal hairline, and the front part of the scalp. With alopecia areata, tiny "exclamation point hairs" can often be seen in the center of the bald spot. This image displays a normal, healthy scalp with alopecia areata. The skin where the hair is gone in alopecia looks completely normal.
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Hair Loss (Alopecia Areata)  A parent's guide to condition and treatment information

Picture of Hair Loss (Alopecia Areata): Nails may have a stippled "beaten copper" appearance with alopecia areata. Divider line
Nails may have a stippled "beaten copper" appearance with alopecia areata.
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Overview
Alopecia areata is caused by a reaction from a person's own immune system (an autoimmune condition) resulting in hair loss. The immune system of the body, for unknown reasons, mistakenly stops growing hair. Hair usually grows back on its own (spontaneously), though the hair loss often happens again. Hair loss may be patchy or more widespread (diffuse) and may affect the scalp as well as the body. Hair loss may be seasonal. There is no long-term cure for hair loss, and the causes can be both family-related (genetic) and related to outside (environmental) exposures.
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Last Modified: 22 Dec 2008
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