Alopecia Areata: 3 week old Regrowing Hairs

Alopecia areata: Regrowth Can Occur Quickly

Alopecia areata is an autoimmune hair loss disease. It often shows remarkable speed - both remarkable speed for hair to fall out quickly and (sometimes) remarkable speed for hair to grow back quickly. “Patchy” alopecia areata (ie the form of alopecia areata showing just a few bald patches) has the greatest potential for rapid regrowth. Patients with one patch have a higher probability for regrowth compared to patients with two patches but overall many patients with a up to several patches of alopecia areata related hair loss do very well with treatments such as topic steroids, steroid injections and minoxidil.

This photo, taken from the scalp of a male patient with a small patch of alopecia areata, shows a few rapidly regrowing hairs just 3 weeks after the patient received steroid injections. Hairs start out thin and thicken up over time. Within another few weeks these hairs will be as thick as their neighbors and the patient will have no evidence of alopecia areata. This patient wears his hair short which allows the thickness of unaffected hairs to be easily compared to the thickness of newly regrowing hairs. #alopeciaareata #alopecia#hairloss #hairclinic