Cicatricial alopecia is hair loss which occurs with the destruction of the hair follicles.
It can be caused by a disease affecting the follicles themselves, or by some process external to them. The follicles may be absent as a result of trauma such a burn or a blow or cut to the head or they may have been destroyed by a specific infection.
The hair loss can be patchy or diffuse (evenly spaced). A biopsy is usually performed to identify the exact cause of this type of alopecia.
Treatment for cicatricial alopecias are limited as they are usually permanent, however, anti-inflammatory applications and systemic or topical corticosteroids are often used to reduce the inflammation and slow the progress of the disease.