There may be a hereditary component to alopecia areata. However, some patients are the only people in their families to have the disease. Some people with alopecia areata will have children that do not develop the disease, and for some people the disease runs across several generations. Simply put, further research is required to fully determine the role of genetics in the disease susceptibility and progression. Having said that, the chances of a person developing alopecia areata in their lifetime is approximately 2% (Villasante Fricke & Miteva, 2015).