Morphological Changes of the Hair Roots in Alopecia Areata: A Scanning Electron Microscopic Study

In a 2013 study, scanning electron microscopy was used to analyze the hair roots of 10 patients with alopecia areata (AA) and 3 healthy controls. The researchers discovered four unique morphological patterns in the hair roots of AA patients: long tapering structures without scale accumulation, club-shaped roots with fine scales, proximal scale accumulation, and sharp tapering at the proximal end of the hair. These patterns indicate that scanning electron microscopy could serve as a less invasive diagnostic tool for AA, providing an alternative to the more invasive punch biopsy.