Treatment is usually effective but generally slow and sometimes discouraging.
Dr Bertolino explains the causes and clinical features of the various types of alopecia areata and reviews the treatment options. A lopecia areata, a dermatologic disorder that has been recognized for more than 2,000 years, is a common problem in primary care practice. The hair loss is believed to have an autoimmune basis and typically presents as patchy areas of hairlessness on various regions of the body. Although other autoimmune disorders sometimes occur with alopecia areata, most patients are healthy. The onset of hair loss is sudden and often random and frequently recurrent.