ANDROGENETIC ALOPECIA

Course overview

ANDROGENETIC ALOPECIA IS A GENETICALLY PREDETERMINED DISORDER DUE TO AN EXCESSIVE RESPONSE TO ANDROGENS. THIS CONDITION AFFECTS UP TO 50 PERCENT OF MALES AND FEMALES AND IS CHARACTERIZED BY PROGRESSIVE LOSS OF TERMINAL HAIR OF THE SCALP ANY TIME AFTER PUBERTY. IT FOLLOWS A CHARACTERISTIC DISTRIBUTION IN BOTH MALES AND FEMALES. IN MALES, HAIR LOSS IS MOST PROMINENT IN THE VERTEX AND FRONTOTEMPORAL REGIONS, WHILE IN WOMEN THE FRONTAL HAIRLINE IS TYPICALLY SPARED WITH DIFFUSE HAIR LOSS AT THE CROWN AND TOP OF HEAD, WITH LOSS OFTEN MARKED BY A WIDER CENTER PART. THIS ACTIVITY EXAMINES WHEN THIS CONDITION SHOULD BE CONSIDERED ON DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS AND HOW TO PROPERLY EVALUATE FOR IT. THIS ACTIVITY HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN CARING FOR PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.