Strange beard growth
Hello,
for about three quarters of a year, I have had a spot on my face where my beard stubble looks strange. More specifically, it looks like there is a hole there, but only when the beard is very short. However, if I don't shave for a while, it becomes apparent that it is not a hole, but that the facial hair in that spot is simply white.
I am only 28 years old, so I am too young to be going gray. However, I have had Vitiligo since childhood. For years, I have had large white patches of pigment in my armpits and genitals, where the hair also grows out white. I assumed that the white hair on my face was also due to Vitiligo, as if there was a pigment spot underneath. I didn't think much of it, especially since the spot is barely visible when I am clean-shaven.
However, recently, the spot has gotten significantly larger. I started to observe it more closely and noticed that the white hairs growing there sometimes appear thinner than the rest of the beard. I am not entirely sure if this is just an optical illusion.
When I searched online, I came across the term "Alopecia Areata". I read about cases where men lose hair in a certain spot on their beard, only for white hairs to eventually grow back. I am not sure if this is true or not, which is why I wanted to ask an expert. Initially, I also thought this spot was a "hole".
I have uploaded three photos for you. Unfortunately, I couldn't do it directly through this site, as it seems to not work for you. One of the photos shows my face without a beard. You will surely spot the area quickly (it is in the lower half of the image, quite centrally). The second photo is a close-up of the spot with slightly increased contrast. The third photo shows the spot with a beard.
So, what do you think of my "issue"? Do you believe it is Vitiligo or possibly Alopecia Areata? And what can be done about it? Are there ways to stop the growth of this spot? Or even to treat it and make brown beard hairs grow again?
