Quality of life in alopecia areata

Alopecia areata is a recurrent, nonscarring type of hair loss; it is an autoimmune disease mediated by T lymphocytes, often resistant to multiple therapies. The aim of the study was to evaluate the quality of life in people with alopecia areata. 142 people with alopecia areata were the subjects of our study. The quality of life was measured using a questionnaire voluntarily and anonymously filled in by the patients. The questionnaire contains 21 items. Each patient is asked the following: to state the level of physical and psychological discomfort caused by alopecia areata; the influence that alopecia areata has over their self esteem; their expected consistency and faith in performing the suggested medical treatment; the esthetic perception they have of themselves; limitations due to emotional problems; social functioning; pain, energy/fatigue; emotional well-being. Each question is answered on a 100-point rating scale, with higher scores indicating worse quality of life. Alopecia areata negatively affect quality of life. Patients with alopecia areata have high depression and anxiety levels, social avoidance and low self-esteem. We found that 84% of the patients studied stated that alopecia areata causes noticeable discomfort in their lives. However, the data is more evident in females (66%) compared to males (34%). This outcome suggests that psychological support, in addition to proper alopecia areata treatment, could help in eliminating the social and individual distress caused by hair loss.