AA is an autoimmune disease characterized by hair loss on the scalp, face, and/or body1,2
Approximately 2% of the global population suffer from AA over the course of their lifetime3,4*
- AA can affect all ages and typically occurs by age 402,3
- AA can affect people of various racial and ethnic backgrounds5
- AA can affect both men and women3,4,6
*Incidence from 1990-2009 in Olmstead County, Minnesota.4
AA is an autoimmune disease
characterized by hair loss on the
scalp, face, and/or body1,2
Approximately 2% of the global population suffer
from AA over the course of their lifetime3,4*
- AA can affect all ages and typically occurs by age 402,3
- AA can affect people of various racial and ethnic backgrounds5
- AA can affect both men and women3,4,6
*Incidence from 1990-2009 in Olmstead County, Minnesota.4
AA produces variable degrees of hair loss.1
AA produces variable degrees of hair loss.1
Clinical patterns can include2:
PATCHY AA:
One, multiple, separate, or conjoined (reticular) patches of hair loss
ALOPECIA
TOTALIS (AT):
Total or near-total hair loss on the scalp
ALOPECIA UNIVERSALIS (AU):
Total to near-total hair loss on all surfaces of the body
AA Disease Progression
While the course of AA is unpredictable, an episode of hair loss lasting >1 year is defined as chronic AA and is an indicator of poor prognosis1,7†
Up to 25% of patients with AA are at risk of developing AT or AU8,9
For patients with extensive scalp involvement (>50% hair loss), spontaneous remission rates are low (~8%)8,10
†Additional possible indicators of poor prognosis at the time of initial presentation include onset before age 12, and in particular before age 6, development of multiple discrete patches, extensive hair loss involving >50% of the scalp, ophiasis pattern of alopecia, progression to AT or AU, associated nail disease, associated Trisomy 21, associated atopy, and a positive family history for AA or other organ-specific autoimmune disease.7
References: 1. Meah N, Wall D, York K, et al. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2020;83(1):123-130. 2. Pratt CH, King LE Jr, Messenger AG, Christiano AM, Sundberg JP. Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2017;3:17011. 3. Villasante Fricke AC, Miteva M. Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol. 2015;8:397-403. 4. Mirzoyev SA, Schrum AG, Davis MDP, Torgerson RR. J Invest Dermatol. 2014;134(4):1141-1142. 5. Lee H, Jung SJ, Patel AB, Thompson JM, Qureshi A, Cho E. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2020;83(4):1064-1070. 6. Goh C, Finkel M, Christos PJ, Sinha AA. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2006;20(9):1055-1060. 7. Cranwell WC, Lai VW, Photiou L, et al. Australas J Dermatol. 2019;60(2):163-170. 8. Tosti A, Bellavista S, Iorizzo M. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2006;55(3):438-441. 9. Darwin E, Hirt PA, Fertig R, Doliner B, Delcanto G, Jimenez JJ. Int J Trichology. 2018;10(2):51-60. 10. Strazzulla LC, Wang EHC, Avila L, et al. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2018;78(1):15-24.
