Alopecia, also known as Da-ul-Asad or Da-ul-Saleb in Arabic, and Balkhora in Urdu, can be caused by a diverse group of rare disorders of the hair bearing regions of the human body. It may damage or destroy the hair follicle and cause hair loss temporarily or permanently. In some cases it may lead to replacement of the affected area with scar tissue and even fibrosis. Alopecia most often affects the scalp and beard, but may occur on any hairy part of the body.
There are two types of Alopecia: (a) Alopecia Areata (generally non-scarring and is usually reversible) – hair follicles remain intact in this case, and (b) Cicatricial Alopecia (generally leaves scarring and is usually irreversible) – symptoms may include fibrosis, inflammation, and loss of hair follicles.