Alopecia - caused by infection at hairdressers?

[cakedup]

Is this possible?
I used to take DS to a particular barbers, always happy with results. Then one time he came away with a wonky neckline - thought it a bit odd but wasn't too worried. Over the next few weeks I realised the wonky hairline was due to hairloss. Within a month, he had a big bald patch. GP wasn't concerned and said it would grow back of it's own accord.

I then started taking DS to a more expensive hairdressers, thinking they might be better at cutting his hair in a way that disguised the alopecia. One hairdresser there told me that he had a client who also got alopecia after visiting a barbers who were using unclean tools and therefore developed an infection, causing the hair loss.

6 months later, DS' hair started growing back. It's now at the point that he doesn't really require a special haircut to try and cover it up, and anyway the hairdressers are well overpriced and I'm not always pleased with the results.

I'd like to take him back to the original barber. I know it sounds silly but I also fear taking him back there because the last time I did he got alopecia! I'm just so pleased the hair has eventually grown back.

Does anyone know if it's possible to get alopecia due to bad practice/dirty tools?

I have alopecia. I've had it for more than forty years so I've come across a lot of theories in my time. This though has to top it for nonsense!
Glad your ds has recovered.

Thanks Gilead I appreciate your response. I kind of thought it might be the case but needed reassurance!

I wouldn't think so.
I remember Matt Lucas, in an interview, thinking it may be linked to being knocked over by a car and the aftershock of that. Has he gone through anything recently which may have caused it?

It's definitely stress in my case.

Its usually stress induced. There's no official known cause, however everyone I've ever spoken to about it (online, not in 'real' life) has said they were under excessive stress when it started. Including me.

Well generally DS (12) is a stressy person, but it did happen soon after he broke his leg and I wonder if it had something to do with that. A friend of mine lost all her hair for a year and seemed to think it was due to an accident she had with a pair of scissors.

Quite possibly yes. It doesn't have to be mental stress. Just a shock to the body seems the trigger the auto immune system into a false rebellion so to speak.

There are lots of different causes of alopecia though. You can get it in patches from infected hair follicles (folliculitis) so it sounds plausible that you could " catch" it especially if it was just in one area.