Alopecia Areata as a Complication of Hair Restoration Surgery

A 56-year-old woman with a history of female pattern hair loss, who had been treated with finasteride and minoxidil, underwent hair transplant surgery using the strip harvest technique, receiving 2,500 follicular grafts. Two months post-surgery, she developed an asymptomatic patch of non-scarring alopecia around the donor wound area. Clinical examination and trichoscopy led to a diagnosis of alopecia areata (AA), which was treated with intralesional triamcinolone acetonide injections, resulting in complete hair regrowth after 6 months. This case suggests alopecia areata as a potential new complication of hair restoration surgery, although caution is advised as this is the first published instance. The authors recommend trichoscopic examination prior to surgery to check for signs of AA in the donor area. No financial support or conflicts of interest were disclosed for this study.