Alopecia: a practical approach to diagnosis and management.

Hair loss may not be as serious as cancer or heart disease, but when patients lose one of their most treasured possessions, the psychological trauma can be extremely severe. Although the pathogenesis of alopecia may seem complicated, if one understands the basic physiology and the normal hair growth cycle and learns how to perform a methodical examination and investigation, one can easily diagnose and treat most cases of alopecia seen in family practice.