An Overview of Alopecias

The document from 2014 provides a comprehensive overview of various forms of alopecia, detailing their clinical features, management strategies, and the pathogenesis research available at the time. It covers androgenetic alopecia (AGA), the most common form of hair loss, and its treatments like minoxidil and finasteride, as well as the role of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and genetic predispositions. Alopecia areata (AA) is described as an autoimmune condition with spontaneous hair regrowth in 80% of patients within a year, and treatments include corticosteroids and minoxidil, with research into immunosuppressive drugs. Other noncicatricial and cicatricial alopecias such as telogen effluvium, anagen effluvium, loose anagen syndrome, trichotillomania, traction alopecia, chronic cutaneous lupus erythematosus, lichen planopilaris, and central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia are characterized by their unique clinical features and treatments. The document also discusses future research directions, including cellular therapies and RNA silencing, and the use of various research methods to advance understanding and treatment of alopecia. However, it does not provide specific data on study sizes or clinical trial results.