ALOPECIA

Course overview

ALOPECIA IS THE ABSENCE OR LOSS OF HAIR IN AN AREA WHERE IT IS EXPECTED TO BE PRESENT. ALOPECIA CAN BE LOCALIZED OR DIFFUSE, TEMPORARY OR PERMANENT, AND AFFECT BOTH SEXES AND ALL AGE GROUPS. THIS CONDITION IS A SIGN OR SYMPTOM ARISING FROM HETEROGENEOUS ETIOLOGIES AND IS BROADLY CLASSIFIED AS NONSCARRING, THE MOST COMMON, AND SCARRING (CICATRICIAL). PATIENTS MAY PRESENT WITH SIGNIFICANT DISTRESS, DIMINISHING THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE. A DETAILED HISTORY, PHYSICAL EXAMINATION, AND FOCUSED EVALUATION ARE NECESSARY TO DETERMINE THE UNDERLYING CAUSE, WHICH WILL GUIDE DECISION-MAKING REGARDING THE MOST APPROPRIATE MANAGEMENT FOR THE BEST OUTCOMES. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE ASSESSMENT AND TREATMENT OF THE MOST COMMON TYPES OF ALOPECIA AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN IMPROVING CARE FOR PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.