Alopecia areata is an autoimmune condition in which the immune system loses its normal tolerance for hair follicles and mounts an inflammatory attack against them. This disrupts the hair growth cycle and forces follicles into a prolonged dormant state — causing hair to fall out in smooth, round or oval patches. Crucially, alopecia areata does not destroy hair follicles; they remain alive beneath the scalp surface. This is why regrowth is possible with treatment that suppresses the immune attack and reactivates the follicles. The condition affects approximately 2% of people globally across all ages and genders, and its severity ranges from a single small patch to total loss of all scalp and body hair.

There is currently no single permanent cure for alopecia areata — it is a chronic autoimmune condition and some patients will experience relapses. However, many patients — particularly those with limited, early-stage disease — achieve complete hair regrowth that may not recur for years or ever. The hair that grows back is real, permanent hair from your own living follicles. With long-term monitoring and early re-treatment at Maynee at the first sign of new immune activity, many patients maintain sustained periods of good hair coverage and minimise cumulative hair loss over their lifetime.

Yes — alopecia areata can progress in susceptible individuals from isolated patches to alopecia totalis (complete scalp hair loss) or alopecia universalis (complete loss of all body hair), though this more extensive progression occurs in a minority of cases. Factors associated with higher risk of progression include: many patches appearing rapidly, disease onset in childhood, nail abnormalities (pitting, ridging), and a family history of extensive alopecia areata. This is why early treatment at the first sign of patchy hair loss is strongly recommended — arresting the disease in its limited stage is significantly more successful than treating extensive hair loss after it has developed.

Most patients find the treatments very manageable, particularly with appropriate preparation. Intralesional corticosteroid injections produce brief, mild to moderate stinging at each injection point — most describe it as tolerable and comparable to a vaccination. Topical numbing cream can be applied beforehand to significantly reduce discomfort. PRP therapy requires a standard blood draw from the arm and scalp injections — producing similar mild to moderate stinging, also minimised with topical anaesthetic. DPCP immunotherapy produces deliberate scalp itching and redness as a therapeutic response, managed with guidance. Phototherapy involves no injections and no pain. None of the treatments at Maynee require general anaesthesia or sedation.

Session numbers and timelines depend on your disease stage and individual immune response. Intralesional injections are delivered every 4–6 weeks — initial vellus hair regrowth is typically visible within 8–12 weeks in responsive cases. PRP therapy is delivered as 4–6 sessions spaced 4 weeks apart, with maintenance every 3–4 months. DPCP immunotherapy for extensive cases requires weekly builds over several months, with regrowth timelines of 3–12 months. Most patients with limited patchy disease see encouraging results within 3 months; more extensive cases require longer programmes. Your dermatologist will give you a realistic, evidence-based timeline specific to your case at consultation.

Yes — alopecia areata in children is absolutely treatable, and early treatment is particularly important for both hair health and psychological wellbeing. At Maynee, paediatric protocols start with topical corticosteroids and minoxidil — non-invasive and well tolerated — for younger children. For older children (from approximately 6 years), intralesional injections become possible with topical anaesthetic preparation. The paediatric protocol is discussed fully with parents at consultation, including realistic expectations and treatment frequency. The psychological benefit of treating alopecia areata in school-age children — protecting them from teasing and social anxiety during formative years — is one of the most compelling reasons to treat promptly.

Exclamation mark hairs are short, broken hairs at the edges of bald patches that are narrower at the base and wider at the tip — shaped like an exclamation mark (!). They form because the immune attack progressively weakens the hair shaft closer to the follicle. Under trichoscopy, they are one of the most diagnostic features of active alopecia areata — confirming the disease is progressing and helping distinguish it from other causes of patchy hair loss. As treatment takes effect, exclamation mark hairs disappear and are replaced by fine vellus hairs — the earliest visible sign of follicular recovery and treatment response.

Alopecia areata is primarily an autoimmune condition driven by immune system dysregulation with a strong genetic component — it is not simply "caused by stress." Many patients develop it without any identifiable stressful trigger at all. However, significant physiological stress can be a precipitating factor in someone already genetically predisposed. Once the autoimmune process has started, reducing stress alone will not reverse the hair loss — the immune attack requires targeted medical treatment to arrest. Stress management is a beneficial, supportive measure but not a substitute for dermatological treatment. Patients who delay treatment hoping stress reduction will resolve the patches may allow the disease to progress unnecessarily.

Because alopecia areata is an autoimmune condition, it is associated with a higher frequency of other autoimmune conditions — most commonly thyroid disorders (Hashimoto's, Graves' disease), vitiligo, atopic dermatitis (eczema), rheumatoid arthritis and type 1 diabetes. Nail changes — including pitting, ridging and trachyonychia — are present in 10–66% of patients and can indicate more extensive disease. At your initial assessment at Maynee, your dermatologist will screen for associated conditions and order blood tests including thyroid function as appropriate. Optimally managing co-existing autoimmune conditions, particularly thyroid disease, contributes positively to alopecia areata treatment outcomes.

Alopecia areata treatment cost at Maynee depends on factors assessed at your initial trichoscopy consultation: the extent and stage of your hair loss, the treatment modalities in your personalised protocol (injections, PRP, DPCP, phototherapy or a combination), and whether treatment is for an adult or a child. Because every protocol is entirely personalised after a thorough dermatological assessment, we do not publish fixed pre-set prices. A complete, transparent cost breakdown with no hidden charges is provided at your consultation after your dermatologist has examined your scalp and designed your specific treatment plan. You leave with full clarity on protocol, timeline and costs — with no obligation to proceed.