Alopecia simply means hair loss. There are many causes of hair loss in men and women. Genetics is clearly the most common cause of hair loss in men and women. There are many (thousands) of other causes such as metabolic disorders (thyroid abnormalities, adrenal abnormalities), autoimmune disorders where your own immune system attacks the hair (such as alopecia areata or lichen planopilaris), stress, infections, skin disorders, intrinsic hair disorders, other disease processes, medications, and many other.
