
That process is commonly known as alopecia.
Alopecia is a general term that refers to hair loss, but there are specific types of alopecia you may have. Take alopecia areata for example: it’s an autoimmune condition where your immune system will mistakenly attack your hair follicles.
Alopecia areata can strike anyone, and it may be due to genetics. Several members of the same family can have the condition, and it can appear as early as childhood for both men and women. It’s characterized by patchy, sudden hair loss on your scalp, face, and possibly other areas of your body.
Besides this round, patchy hair loss, there are a few other ways someone can suffer from alopecia areata:
You may not realize it, but your scalp health is critical to facilitating hair growth. Your hair follicle will produce an oil called sebum, and if your follicle is full of sebum or somehow blocked by dead skin, infection, or dandruff, your hair growth could be impacted. If your hair follicle is completely blocked, hair growth may stop completely.
There’s also a condition called scalp folliculitis. This condition occurs when someone has/had a bacterial infection and the hair follicles become inflamed. That inflammation can present itself like a ring around the follicle, and you might think it looks a bit like acne.
If this condition is caught early, hair may still be present in the hair follicle. If the condition progresses, that hair may fall out. Scalp folliculitis can cause permanent damage to your follicles, and the damage can result in permanent hair loss.