Is alopecia the same as male or female pattern baldness?
By Alexis Tereszcuk
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NO
Alopecia does mean "hair loss," but is caused by an autoimmune disease, rather than simple aging, according to Yale Medicine and other medical experts.
The National Institutes of Health explains the disease is more than just male or female pattern baldness: "Alopecia areata is a disease that happens when the immune system attacks hair follicles and causes hair loss."
The disease's profile was elevated after Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars for joking about Jada Pinkett Smith's bald head. Pinkett Smith has spoken publicly about her alopecia diagnosis and shaved her head as her hair began to fall out.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
National Alopecia Areata Foundation National Alopecia Areata Foundation
Yale Medicine Alopecia Areata
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