Alopecia areata is a cronic autoimmune disease mediated by T lymphocytes. The role of psychological factors in the pathogenesis of alopecia areata has long been the subject of debate. Recent discovery that the skin has his own hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis called also „brain-hair follicle axis” sustain the importance of stressful life events in the onset of alopecic lesions. New reports complete this hypothesis by the role o neuropeptides in the pathogenesis of the disease. In our case control study we try to prove the role of stress in the onset of alopecia. The results confirm the involvement of a stressful event as a risc factor of the disease.