Hair loss, or alopecia, is a concern for men, women, and children. Treatments for hair loss include medications such as Propecia and Rogaine, hair replacements, and hair restoration. It may be patchy or diffusive in manner.
Some types of hair loss can be caused by alopecia areata, an autoimmune disorder. The extreme forms of alopecia areata are alopecia totalis, which involves the loss of all head hair, and alopecia universalis, which involves the loss of all hair from the head and the body. Hair loss and hypotrichosis can have many causes, including fungal infection, traumatic damage, such as by compulsive pulling (trichotillomania), as a result of radiotherapy or chemotherapy, and as a result of nutritional deficiencies such as iron deficiency.