Alopecia in general medicine
February 2016
in “Clinical Medicine”
TLDR The document concludes that diagnosing and treating hair loss is complex and requires understanding its psychological effects and underlying causes, while also calling for more research and new treatments.
The 2016 document highlights the complexity of diagnosing and managing various forms of alopecia in general medicine. It underscores the necessity of recognizing the psychological impact of hair loss, the potential for underlying medical conditions to cause alopecia, and the importance of accurate diagnosis through patient history, blood tests, and scalp biopsies. The document reviews conditions such as telogen effluvium, chemotherapy-induced alopecia, male and female pattern hair loss, alopecia areata, and scarring alopecias, noting treatments like minoxidil, finasteride, and emerging therapies like Janus kinase inhibitors. It also mentions an increase in frontal fibrosing alopecia, especially in post-menopausal women, and calls for more research into its causes. Additionally, the document discusses other causes of hair loss, including infections and systemic diseases, and emphasizes the need for novel treatments based on a deeper understanding of the pathobiology of hair loss disorders.
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