Autoimmune Hair Loss: When the Body Turns Against Its Own Follicles

Hair loss can be frustrating enough when it’s caused by stress or hormonal changes, but when your own immune system begins attacking your follicles, the experience can feel deeply personal.
This type of hair loss, known as autoimmune hair loss, occurs when the body’s defense system mistakes healthy hair follicles for a threat and targets them by mistake.

What Does “Autoimmune” Really Mean?

Your immune system is designed to protect you. It identifies bacteria, viruses, and toxins, then defends against them.
But when the immune system becomes overstimulated, inflamed, or confused, it can start attacking healthy cells, including those responsible for hair growth.

Common autoimmune-related hair loss conditions include:

• Alopecia Areata: Sudden, patchy bald spots on the scalp or body
• Lichen Planopilaris (LPP): Inflammation that leads to scarring and permanent follicle damage
• Lupus-Related Hair Loss: Thinning or shedding linked to systemic inflammation and medication use

These conditions are complex, but they’re not hopeless.
The key is understanding why the immune system turned on itself in the first place.

What Triggers Autoimmune Hair Loss?

There’s never just one reason. Autoimmune activity is influenced by a mix of internal stressors that overwhelm the body’s ability to maintain balance, such as:

• Chronic gut inflammation: A leaky or imbalanced gut can confuse the immune system and trigger cross-reactivity with the skin and follicles.
• Unresolved infections: Viral or bacterial imbalances may keep the immune system in constant “attack” mode.
• Hormonal imbalances: Especially thyroid or adrenal dysfunction, which impact immune regulation and inflammation.
• High stress and emotional strain: Cortisol dysregulation weakens the immune barrier and can heighten inflammatory responses.
• Toxic load and liver stagnation: When detoxification slows, inflammation and oxidative stress rise.

A Functional Trichology Approach

As a Certified Functional Trichologist, I look beyond the scalp to identify what’s overworking your immune system.
Through a combination of gut repair, detoxification, nutrient restoration, and immune modulation, the goal is to calm inflammation, not just cover up its symptoms.

A functional approach may include:

• Restoring gut integrity and microbiome balance
• Supporting the liver and lymphatic system for better detox
• Reducing inflammatory foods and identifying triggers
• Balancing stress through sleep, nervous system support, and adaptogens
• Using topical therapies that calm scalp inflammation while supporting regrowth

When we lower the body’s inflammatory “volume,” follicles often re-enter a healthier growth phase naturally.

Healing is a Partnership

Autoimmune hair loss can be unpredictable, but it’s not a life sentence.
With the right internal support, consistent scalp care, and patient commitment, your body can learn to feel safe again, and your hair can begin to reflect that healing from within.

Ready to Begin?
If you suspect your hair loss may be connected to autoimmune issues, call us and schedule a Hair & Health Assessment. Together, we’ll uncover what your body is trying to tell you and create a plan to help it heal.