alopecia

Term: alopecia

Literally meaning: “loss of fur” because foxes are less furry when afflicted with a skin disease (the "mange") .

Origin: Anc Greek

αλώπηξ/alopix(=fox) > α/a(=prevative) + lopy/λώπη(=fur)

-ια/-ia=a formative ending used in Greek naming nouns (feminine gender)

Coined/History

In ancient Greece, Hippocrates tried to sop his own progressive hair loss and he was the first to describe an effective surgical solution. Hippocrates eventuaally became so bald that two thousand years later, we refer to extreme cases of hair loss as “Hippocratic baldness”.

Definition

Baldness or hair loss that may be patchy (alopecia areata)or or it can involve the entire head (alopecia capitis totalis).