September is Alopecia Areata Awareness Month

While October may be almost upon us, it's never too late to know that September is Alopecia Areata Awareness Month.

The National Alopecia Areata Foundation website provides an overview about the condition: "Alopecia areata is a common autoimmune skin disease resulting in the loss of hair on the scalp and elsewhere on the body. It usually starts with one or more small, round, smooth patches on the scalp and can progress to total scalp hair loss (alopecia totalis) or complete body hair loss (alopecia universalis)."

Alopecia areata affects approximately two percent of the population overall, including more than five million people in the United States alone, according to the website. This common skin disease is highly unpredictable and cyclical, reads the website. Hair can grow back in or fall out again at any time, and the disease course is different for each person, the site adds.

On Sept. 12 at Fenway Park, the Boston Red Sox hosted an awareness booth where brochures and bracelets were distributed to those interested in learning about alopecia.

Do you know someone with alopecia? Do you have alopecia? Let us know your experiences living with this autoimmune skin disease by posting a comment below.