Exploring Alopecia Areata: Clinical Variations, Hair Follicle Dynamics, and Treatment Perspectives
Cengizhan Zerzevatcı1, Raziye Beyza Kılıçoğlu1, Mai Abusalim1, Oytun Erbaş1
1ERBAS Institute of Experimental Medicine, Illinois, USA & Gebze, Türkiye
Keywords: Alopecia areata, hair loss, skin disorders
Abstract
Alopecia areata (AA) is an autoimmune disorder that primarily affects the scalp and leads to hair loss. Although its overall incidence is approximately 2%, it is commonly observed in young age groups and children. Alopecia areata has different clinical types/subtypes within itself. The hair follicle cycle consists of three phases: anagen phase, catagen phase, and telogen phase. In patients with AA, the first observed event is the rapid transition of hair follicles from the anagen phase to the catagen and telogen phases. The diagnosis of the disease is generally made clinically, supported by findings such as a positive hair-pull test or trichoscopy. Vellus hairs in the lesions are also considered a hallmark of AA. Despite the availability of many medical and non-medical treatment options for AA, only a few of them are supported by studies. In this review, we thoroughly explore the intricate domain of AA, an autoimmune disorder primarily impacting the scalp and resulting in hair loss.
Cite this article as: Zerzevatcı C, Kılıçoğlu RB, Abusalim M, Erbaş O. Exploring Alopecia Areata: Clinical Variations, Hair Follicle Dynamics, and Treatment Perspectives. JEB Med Sci 2023;4(2):116-121.
The authors declared no conflicts of interest with respect to the authorship and/or publication of this article.
The authors received no financial support for the research and/or authorship of this article.