Step 1: Picture the lesion - smooth, coin-shaped bald patches that appear quickly without scarring, sometimes ringed by tapering exclamation mark hairs.
Step 2: The mechanism behind these patches is immune. The hair follicle normally enjoys immune privilege, but in alopecia areata that protection breaks down and cytotoxic T cells swarm the follicle bulb, switching off active hair growth. This is an autoimmune attack.
Step 3: Supporting evidence is its frequent company with thyroid autoimmunity, vitiligo and pernicious anemia, and the fact that hair can regrow because the follicles survive.
Step 4: Since there is no allergic, anaphylactic or bacterial cause, alopecia areata is classed as an autoimmune disorder.
\[\boxed{\text{Autoimmune disorder}}\]