The importance of trichological examination in the diagnosis of alopecia areata.

In this article we discuss the propedeutic aspects of alopecia areata, especially those found by dermatoscopy, an invaluable tool for diagnosis of the condition. Dermatoscopy facilitates the early detection of the characteristic changes in alopecia areata hair such as exclamation-point hairs, cadaverous hair, fuzzy hair, vellus type hair and yellow spots.