The Annual Changes of Clinical Manifestation of Androgenetic Alopecia Clinic in Korean Males and Females: A Outpatient-Based Study

BACKGROUND Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is characterized by the local and gradual transformation of terminal scalp hair into vellus hair, which has a shorter and thinner shaft. There are no studies that analyze annual changes in age, patterns, family history, and associated disease. OBJECTIVE We investigated the severity of hair loss, age of onset, the frequency of family history, and past medical histories in Korean patients with AGA. METHODS A retrospective chart review was performed to identify all patients with AGA referred to the Dermatology Clinic at Chung-Ang University Hospital from January 2006 to December 2010. RESULTS The age of onset was also gradually decreased from 34.1±10.1 years to 31.6±10.9 years between 2006 and 2010. In female patients, specific annual changes were not observed. Hamilton-Norwood Type IIIv AGA was most common in male patients and Ludwig Type I AGA was most common in female patients at all times between 2006 and 2010. The majority of patients with AGA had a family history of baldness and was most commonly associated with a paternal pattern of inheritance. Seborrheic dermatitis was the most common associated disease in male and female patients. CONCLUSION Our results show the possibilities that the average age of onset is decreasing. The period of the present study was only 5 years, which is not sufficient for the precise determination of onset age for AGA. Clearly, a long-term study is needed.