Trichoscopy of Alopecia Areata: An Update

The document reviewed trichoscopic findings in alopecia areata, revealing that no single feature is diagnostic on its own, but a combination of findings can aid in diagnosis. The most common features observed were yellow dots, short vellus hairs, black dots, broken hairs, and exclamation mark hairs. The review analyzed 30 studies, with the largest including 300 patients, and noted that features like tapered hairs, upright regrowing hairs, pigtail hairs, and Pohl-Pinkus constrictions were less common but still relevant. It was found that certain markers, such as black dots, exclamation mark hairs, and broken hairs, correlate with disease activity, while short vellus hairs may indicate initial hair regrowth. The review concluded that trichoscopy is valuable for differentiating alopecia areata from other hair loss conditions and for monitoring treatment efficacy.