British Association of Dermatologists living guideline for managing people with alopecia areata 2024

Lay Summary Alopecia areata (AA) is a long-term condition that can occur in both children and adults. AA can appear as patches of baldness on the scalp. Sometimes, nail growth is also affected. Hair on other parts of the body may also fall out, such as the beard, eyebrows and eyelashes. Total loss of scalp hair is called alopecia totalis (AT). Complete loss of scalp, facial and body hair is called alopecia universalis (AU). The British Association of Dermatologists gathered a group of experts in managing people of all ages with AA. The group consisted of 11 dermatologists, 1 psychologist, 2 people with AA and a team with expertise in preparing guidelines. This group of experts reviewed relevant studies published until 19 October 2023. Using the evidence, the group produced recommendations using rigorous standards for guideline development. The guideline development group produced 49 recommendations for management of people with AA. They also made 7 recommendations for future research and suggested 11 audit points for hospitals. Based on the guideline, the group prepared an updated patient information leaflet. The leaflet is available on the British Association of Dermatologists’ website (https://www.skinhealthinfo.org.uk/condition/alopecia-areata).