Alopecia totalis
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| name = Alopecia totalis
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| caption = A woman with alopecia totalis
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Alopecia totalis is the loss of all hair on the head and face. Its causes are unclear, but it is believed to be an autoimmune disorder. Research suggests there may be a genetic link: the presence of DRB1*0401 and DQB1*0301, both of which are human leukocyte antigens (HLA), have been found to be associated with long-standing alopecia totalis.{{Cite journal|last1=Colombe|first1=Beth W.|last2=Lou|first2=Calvin D.|last3=Price|first3=Vera H.|date=December 1999|title=The Genetic Basis of Alopecia Areata: HLA Associations with Patchy Alopecia Areata Versus Alopecia Totalis and Alopecia Universalis|journal=Journal of Investigative Dermatology Symposium Proceedings|volume=4|issue=3|pages=216–219|doi=10.1038/sj.jidsp.5640214|pmid=10674369 |issn=1087-0024|doi-access=free}}
Treatment
Methotrexate and corticosteroids are proposed treatments.{{cite journal |doi=10.1016/j.jaad.2005.09.010 |title=The use of methtrexate alone or in combination with low doses of oral corticosteroids in the treatment of alopecia totalis or universalis |year=2006 |last1=Joly |first1=Pascal |journal=Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology |volume=55 |issue=4 |pages=632–6 |pmid=17010743}}
Scalp cooling has specifically been used to prevent alopecia in docetaxel chemotherapy,{{Cite journal | last1 = Hurk | first1 = C. J. G. | last2 = Breed | first2 = W. P. M. | last3 = Nortier | first3 = J. W. R. | doi = 10.1007/s00520-012-1465-0 | title = Short post-infusion scalp cooling time in the prevention of docetaxel-induced alopecia | journal = Supportive Care in Cancer | volume = 20 | issue = 12 | pages = 3255–3260 | year = 2012 | pmid = 22539051 | s2cid = 1282047 }} although it has been found prophylactic in other regimens as well.{{Cite journal | last1 = Lemieux | first1 = J. | title = Reducing chemotherapy-induced alopecia with scalp cooling | journal = Clinical Advances in Hematology & Oncology | volume = 10 | issue = 10 | pages = 681–682 | year = 2012 | pmid = 23187775}}{{Cite journal | last1 = Van Den Hurk | first1 = C. J. | last2 = Peerbooms | first2 = M. | last3 = Van De Poll-Franse | first3 = L. V. | last4 = Nortier | first4 = J. W. | last5 = Coebergh | first5 = J. W. W. | last6 = Breed | first6 = W. P. | doi = 10.3109/0284186X.2012.658966 | title = Scalp cooling for hair preservation and associated characteristics in 1411 chemotherapy patients - Results of the Dutch Scalp Cooling Registry | journal = Acta Oncologica | volume = 51 | issue = 4 | pages = 497–504 | year = 2012 | pmid = 22304489 | s2cid = 26709009 }}{{Cite journal | last1 = Yeager | first1 = C. E. | last2 = Olsen | first2 = E. A. | doi = 10.1111/j.1529-8019.2011.01430.x | title = Treatment of chemotherapy-induced alopecia | journal = Dermatologic Therapy | volume = 24 | issue = 4 | pages = 432–442 | year = 2011 | pmid = 21910801 | s2cid = 45148677 }} Treatment effects may take time to resolve, with one study showing breast cancer survivors wearing wigs up to 2 years after chemotherapy.{{Cite journal | last1 = Oshima | first1 = Y. | last2 = Watanabe | first2 = T. | last3 = Nakagawa | first3 = S. | last4 = Endo | first4 = A. | last5 = Shiga | first5 = C. | title = A questionnaire survey about hair loss after chemotherapy for breast cancer | journal = Gan to Kagaku Ryoho. Cancer & Chemotherapy | volume = 39 | issue = 9 | pages = 1375–1378 | year = 2012 | pmid = 22996772}}
See also
References
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External links
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{{Human hair}}
{{Disorders of skin appendages}}