Beyond Digestion: A Systematic Examination of the Correlation between the Gut Microbiome Across Biological Sex and the Development of Alopecia Areata
Meera Bhat-Chavan
Design Tech High School, Redwood City, United States of America
Publication date: August 2, 2026
Design Tech High School, Redwood City, United States of America
Publication date: August 2, 2026
DOI: http://doi.org/10.34614/JIYRC2026I41
ABSTRACT
Autoimmune diseases are among the most rapidly increasing diagnoses today, with about 4% of people around the world suffering from them. When a person has an autoimmune disease, their body becomes confused and unable to differentiate between good and bad bacteria, causing the immune system to attack itself. Among these, alopecia areata is one of the more common types, in which the immune system attacks the hair follicles, causing hair loss. In this literature review and synthesis, the connection between alopecia and the gut microbiome is further explored in the context of biological sex. The gut microbiome consists of the bacteria and microbes in the stomach and plays a heavy role in digestion. The gut may be thrown off balance, also known as dysbiosis, if there is too much harmful bacteria compared to beneficial bacteria, which can also cause disease, and people diagnosed with alopecia are generally known to have less microbial diversity. Women, especially, are at higher risk for dysbiosis due to frequent hormonal fluctuations. Possible solutions include probiotics and fecal microbiota transplants; however, these options are far from being considered dependable (Robinson et al. 2022), further emphasizing the need for future research.
Autoimmune diseases are among the most rapidly increasing diagnoses today, with about 4% of people around the world suffering from them. When a person has an autoimmune disease, their body becomes confused and unable to differentiate between good and bad bacteria, causing the immune system to attack itself. Among these, alopecia areata is one of the more common types, in which the immune system attacks the hair follicles, causing hair loss. In this literature review and synthesis, the connection between alopecia and the gut microbiome is further explored in the context of biological sex. The gut microbiome consists of the bacteria and microbes in the stomach and plays a heavy role in digestion. The gut may be thrown off balance, also known as dysbiosis, if there is too much harmful bacteria compared to beneficial bacteria, which can also cause disease, and people diagnosed with alopecia are generally known to have less microbial diversity. Women, especially, are at higher risk for dysbiosis due to frequent hormonal fluctuations. Possible solutions include probiotics and fecal microbiota transplants; however, these options are far from being considered dependable (Robinson et al. 2022), further emphasizing the need for future research.
