bald patches on chin

[Mark]

I have developed two bald areas on my chin.  They appeared suddenly and without pain or discomfort of any type, but they seem to be spreading.  Any idea of the cause???

[chino]

I am beggining to see less and less chin hair. I remeber having so much more, It all began when I got some sort of rash on my chin. The rash was red, I put on a cream for rashes and it appears to be gone, but also the hair where it was.

    Any suggestions will be highly appreciated

[chino]

I am beggining to see less and less chin hair. I remeber having so much more, It all began when I got some sort of rash on my chin. The rash was red, I put on a cream for rashes and it appears to be gone, but also the hair where it was.

    Any suggestions will be highly appreciated

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

Mark:

This most likely is alopecia areata, a common hair problem which produces suddenly appearing bald spots on scalp or face.  Cause: unknown.  Prognosis: good, for reversal is 3-6 months.  Treatment: rarely worth it.

Textbooks tend to implicate stress, which I have never found compelling.  This is technically an "autoimmune" condition, in which the body attacks its own hairs.  Why is anybody's guess.

Meantim, shave close and often, so the contrast is minimized.

Best.

Dr. R