Shots:
- Hair loss (alopecia) is a condition that causes thinning or loss of hair on the scalp or the entire body. It can be temporary or permanent and may result from genetics, hormonal changes, medical issues, or aging
- PharmaShots’ Disease of the Month report aims to educate a broad audience about health conditions that affect communities worldwide. These reports provide a comprehensive overview of disease, including its characteristics, types, symptoms, diagnostic approaches, available treatment options, epidemiology, market size, ongoing clinical trials, active patient advocacy groups (PAGs), and inspiring patient stories
- For a detailed landscape analysis and customized insights on Alopecia, contact our team at connect@pharmashots.com
A common autoimmune skin condition characterized by hair loss from scalp or entire body. It can be hereditary or result of hormonal imbalance affecting people of all age and gender [1]
Hair loss may be temporary or permanent, depending on the type: [2]
- Androgenic Alopecia: This hereditary baldness affects both men and women
- Alopecia Areata: Alopecia areata is an autoimmune condition causing hair loss on the scalp and body
- Telogen Effluvium: Involves rapid hair shedding resulting from physical stress, emotional stress, or sudden hormonal changes
- Anagen Effluvium: Results after medical treatments like chemotherapy
People normally shed 50–100 hairs every day, which go unnoticed because new hair grows at the same time. Hair loss occurs when fallen hair isn’t replaced by new growth: [3]
- Family History (Heredity): The most common cause of hair loss is hereditary androgenic alopecia, which develops with age and appears gradually as receding hairlines or bald spots in men and thinning at the crown in women
- Hormonal Changes and Other Medical Conditions: Various conditions can cause temporary or permanent hair loss, including hormonal changes (pregnancy, childbirth, menopause, thyroid issues), autoimmune alopecia areata, scalp infections like ringworm, and the hair-pulling disorder trichotillomania
- Medications and Supplements: Hair loss can occur as a side effect of medications for cancer, arthritis, depression, heart disease, gout, and high blood pressure
- Hairstyles and Treatments: Tight hairstyles, hot-oil treatments, and perms can cause traction alopecia, and if scarring occurs, the hair loss may be permanent
Hair loss may be sudden or gradual, affecting only the scalp or the entire body, depending on the cause. Hair loss symptoms may include: [3]
- Gradual Thinning on Top of Head: The most common form of age-related hair loss is accompanied by receding hairlines in men and broadening of the parts in women’s hair; older women may also develop frontal fibrosing alopecia
- Circular or Patchy Bald Spots: Some people develop patchy bald spots on the scalp, beard, or eyebrows, sometimes preceded by itchy or painful skin
- Sudden Loosening of Hair: Physical or emotional shock can trigger temporary hair thinning, with handfuls of hair shedding during combing, washing, or gentle tugging
- Full-Body Hair Loss: Certain conditions and treatments, like chemotherapy, can cause total body hair loss, which usually regrows
- Patches of Scaling that Spread over the Scalp: A sign of ringworm, it may include broken hair, redness, swelling, and occasional oozing
Before diagnosis, your doctor will examine you, review your diet, assess hair care, medical and family history, and may order tests such as: [3]
- Blood Test: This may reveal medical conditions causing hair loss
- Pull Test: Your doctor may gently pull hair to assess the stage of shedding
- Scalp Biopsy: Your doctor may examine scraped skin or plucked hair under a microscope to check for infection-related hair loss
- Light Microscopy: Using a special instrument, your doctor examines trimmed hair to detect hair shaft disorders
Hair loss can be stopped if it results from medications, hormonal disorders, thyroid disease, or diet, with proper treatment. Most treatments target androgenic alopecia and include: [2]
- Medication: First-line treatments include topical minoxidil or Rogaine, for thinning hair, and oral finasteride or Propecia, prescribed only for men with male pattern baldness
- Hair Transplant: In a hair transplant, hair from thicker scalp areas is transplanted to thinning areas
- Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP): In PRP treatment, platelet-rich plasma from your blood is injected into the scalp to slow hair loss and stimulate growth
A global retrospective study in 2019 analyzed over 3,000 alopecia diagnoses from specialist hair clinics to assess global patterns. Of these, 73% were nonscarring and 27% scarring: [1]
Nonscarring Alopecia Frequency
- Androgenetic alopecia: 37.7%
- Alopecia areata: 18.2%
- Telogen effluvium: 11.3%
Scarring Alopecia Frequency
- Frontal fibrosing alopecia: 10.8%
- Lichen planopilaris: 7.6%
- Folliculitis decalvans: 2.8%
The global alopecia market was valued at $9.48B in 2024 and is projected to reach $16.02B by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 8.7% from 2025 to 2030 [4]
OLUMIANT (baricitinib) Oral Tablet a Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor indicated for the treatment of adult patients with severe alopecia areata [5]
Other approved therapies:
Rogaine (Kenvue Brands)
Propecia (Organon)
Olumiant (Eli Lilly)
Litfulo (Pfizer)
Leqselvi (Sun Pharma)
As of September 16, 2025, active and inactive Phase II and III clinical trials are concentrated in the US, followed by Spain, Australia, and Italy [6]
Numerous patient advocacy groups are dedicated to supporting individuals with alopecia and other allergic conditions, aiming to improve patient care, enhance quality of life, raise awareness, and promote research
- Tanya Maheshwari [7]
I was diagnosed with Alopecia when I was just 16-year-old. It is a rare genetic disorder that is characterised by a receding hairline and diffuses thinning on all areas of the scalp.
I always had thin hair and when I first got my period at the age of 13, I started losing my hair in chunks. It took six years for doctors to realize that it was not just PCOS or hormonal imbalance that was causing it.
During that time, my family and I were shooting in the dark and tried everything including hormonal contraception pills, Ayurveda, homoeopathy, acupuncture, home remedies, and the last straw was a hair transplant, those 150 stitches at the back of my head still make for a good story).
I am extremely grateful for my family who did not leave any stone unturned but after spending a considerable amount of time with doctors, recounting my story and giving blood tests multiple times, I was exhausted. It was a massive relief when I received a definite diagnosis that it is androgenetic alopecia. Finally, I had a name for the six years of roller teenage life which I have lived.
I grappled with self-esteem and social anxiety since and I still suffer from it. There was a time in high school when I was hosting a cultural show and a few days later the photos from the event were shared.
The photographer took a few shots from the auditorium balcony which captured my bald spots and I realised how exposed my crown was.
I remember staring at the pictures with a sinking heart, thinking, “it can’t be me” and at that moment I just wanted to disappear. So I did the next logical thing – went home, hugged my mom and cried myself to bed.
That was me at 16 and today, I feel I have come far and every person, place, and experience helped me along the way. When I moved out from India three years ago, I realized what an ideal conversation about hair loss should be like.
It was always a casual question, no judgment whatsoever. There might be some ignorant remarks but they usually stemmed from innocent curiosity and not the notion that the life of an Indian girl without hair is completely futile. This was so refreshing and definitely was a catalyst for the self-acceptance journey.
As much as I long for the feeling of running my fingers through my own hair, there was a dire need of accepting and embracing my reality. So I went ahead and shaved my head a few months ago and that was the most liberating moment of my life. I actually squealed in the chair. Looking at ‘myself’ in the mirror for the first time, an epiphany struck- this is who I am and hiding it further made no sense.
Advances in dermatologic care are paving the way for managing common conditions like Alopecia and helping patients like Tanya Maheshwari the symptoms with confidence.
References
Related Post: Disease of the Month – Rosacea
