The Diagnosis and Treatment of Hair and Scalp Diseases

The document from 2016 reviews the causes, diagnosis, and treatment of hair and scalp diseases, particularly focusing on hair loss disorders. It identifies hair loss as either physiological or pathological, with a range of causes including hormonal imbalances, nutritional deficiencies, and infections. Androgenetic alopecia, the most common type, is characterized by patterned hair loss in men and diffuse thinning in women. Alopecia areata, an autoimmune condition, leads to patchy hair loss and has a variable prognosis influenced by factors like age of onset and extent of hair loss, with topical immune therapy being the most effective treatment. Scarring alopecias, such as folliculitis decalvans and lichen planopilaris, result in permanent hair loss and are treated with methods ranging from antimicrobial shampoos to surgical interventions. The document also notes the lack of evidence for certain treatments for female androgenetic alopecia and the potential of Janus kinase inhibitors for alopecia areata. It concludes that hair loss should be approached as a symptom requiring tailored treatments and is based on research and expert opinions up to 2016, with authors disclosing conflicts of interest related to honoraria and consultancy.