Here is a definition I found from New England Journal of Medicine:
About Alopecia Areata
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 6.5 million people in the United States alone. This common skin disease is highly unpredictable and cyclical. Hair can grow back in or fall out again at any time, and the disease course is different for each person.
I have not had total hair loss, but I have had round, large patches of baldness on my scalp. It has happened to me four different times in my life.
The fist time was when I was sixteen years old. I was looking in the mirror to see if my ponytail had any lumps in it, and I found a tennis ball shaped bald spot. It scared me. I thought I might have cancer, and I wondered what was wrong with me. I remember seeing a doctor, and I can recall him asking me if I was under much stress. I casually responded, "No, not really." Fast forward some nearly two decades later... honey, I was under so much stress. I was internalizing everything around me, my dysfunctional family, my friends, and I was not eating well on top of it.
The second time I had this experience was when I was 20. I had just moved into my first apartment, living alone, and I was struggling. I didn't want to tell anyone how much I was struggling, but I was having a hard time having money for food, working ridiculous hours, and not very confident in the future. I'm sure there was more. I found a bald spot during this period of time. I knew my worries had gotten out of control.
The third time I experienced a bald spot was when I was 30. Last semester of college, working two jobs, my ceiling caved in, family conflicts (a reoccurring theme), no idea about the future because I had no time to plan, studying, trying to do a lot of things at once. I found a bald spot. I started wearing more hats, and I dealt with it.
The fourth time I found a bald spot was just a couple weeks ago. I think there are many factors in what caused it, but I will admit I have been more stressed than usual. This past winter was one of the most stressful periods of my life. It was as if everything collapsed at once- an important relationship, my apartment, my job... Then I moved a couple of times and the process of looking for work is one of the most stressful experiences to me. I lived with a family that were friends, and I tried to save to get to a different place in my life. I took a job with AmeriCorps in Tucson, Arizona, found an apartment and made the big move alone and knowing no one. Lots of hairs, and now there are more hats.
I saw a quote recently that said something like "Mother Teresa didn't talk about her fat thighs." In the same respect, I feel like my bald spots are not that big of a deal. They scare me initially, but then I realize that my body is signally the stress I have been under. I need to slow down, breathe, and take better care of me. That's what these bald spots do for me.
I don't hear much talk about this disease. Recently Miss Delaware drew attention and awareness to the disease, appearing bald and speaking openly. I haven't known anyone personally that has had this experience with bald spots, but I would be curious to know how much of others balding is connected to stress. As with most things, it's always nice to know you're not alone.
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