There are a number of issues that need to be addressed when you first learn that you have alopecia areata.  The first is figuring out what exactly is alopecia?  As we feel no real need to try and re-invent the wheel here, we'll direct you to the sites of some organizations that have written descriptions of this disease.  In most cases they also have excellent answers to the most frequently asked questions. 

You'll find that while many of the answers tend to agree with one another from site to site, there are some differences in how different organizations and different doctors define certain aspects of alopecia areata.  This is a result of the fact that alopecia areata specifically, and auto-immune diseases in general, are little understood disorders with no known cure at this time.  Certain treaments work for some people.  Some people enjoy a return to full health with no medical intervention at all.  And some people experience no relief even after trying nearly every trick in the book.  Uncertainty is, unfortunately, just the nature of the beast.

So what follows then is an in-no-way complete listing of alopecia FAQ's lists that can be found on the web.  We take no responsibility for the information on these lists, but we have found them to be the most imformative, authoritative, and helpful that we have come across.

The National Alopecia Areata Foundation FAQ

The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases FAQ

MedicineNet's listing for Alopecia Areata

MedicineOnline's Encyclopedia listing for Alopecia Areata 

Harvard Medical School's Consumer Health Information