Alopecia areata (AA) is an inflammatory and autoimmune disease presenting with non-scarring hair loss. The aethiopathogenesis of alopecia areata is unclear and many factors including autoimmunity, genetic predisposition, emotional and environmental stress are thought to play important roles in its development. Antioxidant/ oxidant balance perturbation is a common feature in autoimmune, emotional and environmental stress. Therefore, our paper discusses the implications of oxidative stress in alopecia areata.

Abbreviations: AA = alopecia areata, ROS = reactive oxygen species, H2O2 = hydrogen peroxide, TBARS = thiobarbituric acid rective substances, MDA = malondialdehyde, TBARS = thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances, SOD = superoxide dismutase, CAT = catalase, GSH-Px = glutathione peroxidase, PON1 = paraoxonase 1, HO-1 = hemoxigenase 1, TrxR = thioredoxin reductase, GSH = glutathione