Alopecia totalis

Alopecia totalis (AT) is a condition characterized by the complete loss of hair on the scalp. It is an advanced form of alopecia areata a condition that causes round patches of hair loss.

Other Names:

Loss of all scalp hair

Cause

Although the exact cause of AT is unknown, it is thought to be an autoimmune condition in which the immune system mistakenly attacks the hair follicles. Roughly 20% of affected people have a family member with alopecia, suggesting that genetic factors may contribute to the development of AT.

Symptoms

For most diseases, symptoms will vary from person to person. People with the same disease may not have all the symptoms listed. 80%-99% of people have these symptoms

• Alopecia of scalp(Pathologic hair loss from scalp)

Treatment

There is currently no cure for AT, but sometimes hair regrowth occurs on it's own, even after many years. Methotrexate and corticosteroids are proposed treatments.

Scalp cooling has specifically been used to prevent alopecia in docetaxel chemotherapy, although it has been found prophylactic in other regimens as well. Treatment effects may take time to resolve, with one study showing breast cancer survivors wearing wigs up to 2 years after chemotherapy.

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NIH genetic and rare disease info

• NIH info on Alopecia totalis

Alopecia totalis is a rare disease.

Alopecia totalis Resources
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