Partially Treated Alopecia Areata

Alopecia areata is an autoimmune condition that affects approximately 2 % of the worlds population. Many treatments are available. For patches of alopecia areata, the most effective treatment is steroid injections. When the scalp is examined a few weeks after a patient has received steroid injections a mixture of hair regrowth and hair loss is typically seen. In alopecia areata, hairs that are in the losing stage include broken hairs (arrow) and so called exclamation mark hairs (asterisk). Over time as hair growth dominates, the proportion of broken hairs and exclamation mark hairs will be reduced.