Dermoscopic Analysis of Patients With and Without Poor Prognostic Indicators in Alopecia Areata: A Comparative Study

July 2025 in “ Indian Dermatology Online Journal ”

Chinmoy Raj, Dillip Behera, Debasmita Behera, Farheen Begum, Shini Choubey

alopecia areata yellow dots black dots broken hairs coudability hairs vellus hairs Severity of Alopecia Tool SALT score

Studysummary This study identified key dermoscopic markers such as yellow dots, black dots, broken hairs, and coudability hairs, which were associated with a poorer prognosis in alopecia areata patients. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.

This study compared dermoscopic features in 85 patients with alopecia areata (AA) who had either poor or favorable prognostic indicators. It found that yellow dots, black dots, broken hairs, and coudability hair were associated with a poor prognosis, while the presence of vellus hair indicated a favorable outcome. Patients with poor prognostic markers had higher SALT scores, reflecting more severe hair loss. The study highlights the value of dermoscopic analysis in evaluating disease severity and informing treatment decisions for AA. However, it notes limitations such as its retrospective design and the absence of treatment response evaluation.

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research Comparative Study of Trichoscopic Features of Alopecia Areata Between Adults and Children and Between Different Body Parts (Scalp, Beard, Eyebrow, and Moustache)

2 citations , July 2024 in “Indian Journal of Dermatology”

In this study, researchers found that adults with alopecia areata exhibited trichoscopic features of empty follicular openings and tulip hair, while children showed more honeycomb pigment patterns and pohlpinkus constriction on their scalp lesions.

research Trichoscopic Findings in Children and Adults with Alopecia Areata: A Comparative Study

April 2024 in “Journal of cosmetic dermatology”

This study analyzed dermoscopic findings in alopecia areata among children and adults, discovering that exclamation mark hairs are more common in children, while yellow dots appear more often in adults, indicating the importance of age-specific evaluation in diagnosing this condition.

research Dermoscopic Findings of Alopecia Areata in Dark-Skinned Individuals: An Analysis of 116 Cases

21 citations , January 2014 in “International Journal of Trichology”

This study observed that while dermoscopic features in alopecia areata for dark-skinned individuals align with existing literature, yellow dots appear more frequently and could help in grading disease severity.

research Utility of Dermoscopy in Alopecia Areata

76 citations , January 2011 in “Indian Journal of Dermatology/Indian journal of dermatology”

In this study, researchers identified yellow dots as the most common dermoscopic feature of alopecia areata, followed by black dots, broken hairs, short vellus hair, and tapering hairs.

research Clinical Significance of Dermoscopy in Alopecia Areata: Analysis of 300 Cases

196 citations , June 2008 in “International Journal of Dermatology”

This study found that dermoscopic indicators like black dots and tapering hairs are valuable markers for diagnosing and assessing the severity and activity of alopecia areata in Asian patients.

research Videodermoscopy in the Evaluation of Hair and Scalp Disorders

304 citations , July 2006 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

This study found that videodermoscopy enhances diagnostic accuracy for scalp and hair disorders beyond simple clinical inspection and reveals novel disease features that could improve clinical understanding.