The objectives of this guideline “ British Association of Dermatologists’ guidelines for the management of alopecia areata 2012 ” is to provide up-to-date recommendations for the management of alopecia areata in adults and children. Alopecia areata is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the hair follicle and sometimes affects nails. The onset may be at any age and there is no known race or sex preponderance. Alopecia areata usually presents as patches of hair loss on the scalp but any hair-bearing skin can be involved.
The affected skin may be slightly reddened but otherwise appears normal. Prognosis Hair follicles are preserved in alopecia areata and the potential for recovery of hair growth is maintained, even in longstanding disease. Almost all patients experience more than one episode of the disease, and 14–25% progress to total loss of scalp hair (alopecia totalis, AT) or…
