Being diagnosed with an autoimmune disease like alopecia areata can feel overwhelming and emotionally draining, especially if you’re actively losing your hair. In the beginning, your focus may be solely on keeping the condition from spreading and regrowing your hair.

But as your diagnosis becomes more real, you may also be wondering if there’s something your healthcare provider can prescribe that will cure this autoimmune condition and help your hair grow back. Or, if you’re in remission and your hair has already regrown after the initial bout of hair loss, you may be wondering if recurrence is a possibility. Here’s what you need to know about alopecia areata and its recovery, remission, and recurrence.

Is Alopecia Areata Curable?

When someone is cured from a disease or illness, this means that it’s gone and not coming back. But very few conditions are curable, including alopecia areata. Instead, medications and other treatment options can help manage alopecia symptoms, boost hair regrowth, and even put the condition into remission. Understanding the difference between a cure and remission can help you set realistic goals, including the possibility of hair regrowth, how often remission occurs, and how frequently symptoms reappear.

Alopecia areata, which affects roughly 7 million people in the U.S., is an unpredictable condition and can come and go throughout a person’s lifetime. For those who have patchy alopecia areata — or coin-sized patches of hair loss on the scalp — research has found that about 30 percent to 50 percent will experience hair regrowth within the first six to 12 months. Within five years, symptoms may resolve for some people, and they may remain in remission for several years. However, alopecia areata can come back, and many people have more than one episode of hair loss over their lifetime.

For those with more severe cases of alopecia areata, such as alopecia totalis, hair regrowth is less likely to happen. Regardless of the type of alopecia areata, the unpredictability of when hair regrowth or hair loss will occur can negatively impact quality of life.

Can Hair Grow Back After Alopecia Areata?

The amount of hair you lose — and the likelihood it will grow back — is determined by the type of alopecia you have. Those with patchy alopecia areata have small, round bald patches, while those with alopecia totalis lose all of the hair on their scalp. And those who have alopecia universalis experience hair loss on their scalp and body, including the eyebrows and eyelashes.

No matter which type of alopecia areata you have, your hair follicles often remain capable of regrowth and aren’t usually damaged like what occurs with pattern baldness. Instead, your hair loss occurs because your immune system attacks the follicles and disrupts their growth.

If your alopecia areata is patchy and affects less than 25 percent of your scalp, it’s likely your hair will grow back. In fact, regrowth could even be spontaneous. Research has found that, with treatment, about 68 percent of people with patches of hair loss will experience hair regrowth.

But if more than half of your scalp is affected, the chances of your hair growing back drop considerably. A small percentage of people with more significant hair loss will experience hair regrowth. And if you have alopecia totalis or alopecia universalis, the likelihood of full hair regrowth may be less than 10 percent.

How Do Treatments Support Regrowth?

Treatments for alopecia areata are designed to treat and manage your immune system’s response. Because there’s a range of available options, combined with the fact that not every treatment option is right for everyone, healthcare providers will consider the type of alopecia you have, your age, the severity of your condition, and any other health conditions you have, like atopic dermatitis or thyroid disease.

For patchy alopecia areata, the first line of treatment often includes corticosteroids that are either applied topically to your skin or injected into the affected areas. If you have severe alopecia areata, your healthcare provider may recommend topical immunotherapy or Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors.

Topical immunotherapy involves placing a substance on your scalp that causes an allergic reaction. This allergic response changes your body’s immune response around the hair follicles. Some reports suggest that about 40 percent to 55 percent of people experience significant regrowth with this type of treatment.

Meanwhile, JAK inhibitors block the Janus kinase proteins that attack your hair follicles. Once blocked, your normal hair growth cycle can continue, and your hair may grow back. Healthcare providers typically use JAK inhibitors in people with alopecia totalis and alopecia universalis to promote hair regrowth. Many times, these medications are successful in helping hair grow back, especially when combined with oral minoxidil (a medicine sometimes used off-label to support hair growth). JAK inhibitors may be effective in treating alopecia areata, but their use should be carefully considered due to their potential side effects.

Some JAK inhibitors are now FDA approved to treat severe alopecia areata. Approval can depend on age, so your provider will choose the option that fits you best.

The Reality of Living With Alopecia Areata

Living with alopecia areata is not always easy and can take a toll on you emotionally and psychologically, especially if you don’t experience hair regrowth right away with your treatment plan. This can lead to feelings of shame, guilt, and a loss of self-confidence. You may even have an increased risk of anxiety and depression.

One survey found that 85 percent of people with alopecia areata considered the autoimmune condition a daily challenge, and nearly half of the people had anxiety and depression. The key, then, is to make self-care a daily priority so that you not only manage your condition to the best of your ability, but also take care of your mental health needs, too.

Alopecia areata is relapsing-remitting, and recurrence is common even after full regrowth.

To start, consider joining a support group. Being around people who understand what you’re going through can be empowering. Plus, it helps you build community with people who have similar experiences. You also may benefit from seeing a therapist. They can help you boost your self-confidence and learn techniques on how to manage stress and negative thinking. Using wigs, scarves, or other accessories to change your appearance can help you reframe your thinking and improve your feelings about your appearance.

Just remember that everyone’s experience with alopecia areata is different, so no one’s journey is going to be the same. But by taking care of yourself and staying in close contact with your healthcare providers about your symptoms, emotions, and treatment options, you can stay ahead of your condition, manage its symptoms, and improve your quality of life.

Join the Conversation

On MyAlopeciaTeam, people share their experience with alopecia, get advice, and find support from others who understand.

If you have alopecia areata, has your condition ever entered remission? If so, how long did it take your body to enter remission after your initial diagnosis, and how long did the remission last? Let others know in the comments below.