Regrowth of Alopecia Areata Simulating the Pattern of Androgenetic Alopecia
January 1997
in “
Archives of Dermatology
”
TLDR Hair loss from alopecia areata can sometimes regrow in a pattern similar to androgenetic alopecia.
In a retrospective study conducted from 1975 to 1993, 1604 patients with alopecia areata (AA), a common hair disorder, were analyzed to assess different types of AA. The patients, 842 males and 762 females ranging from 2 to 72 years old, were all white and had a familial incidence rate of 21.3%. The study identified a new pattern of hair regrowth, termed the androgenetic (AGA)-like pattern, in 13 cases. All patients were photographed at each visit, their immune system function was studied, and hormonal analyses were performed on those with an AGA-like pattern.