# Quality of life in patients with scarring and non‐scarring alopecia: An exploratory cross‐sectional study

## TL;DR

This study explores how hair loss affects quality of life, finding that non-scarring alopecia has a greater emotional impact than scarring alopecia.

## Contribution

The study compares QoL impairment between scarring and non-scarring alopecia using DLQI and PROMIS questionnaires in a large patient sample.

## Key findings

- Non-scarring alopecia patients showed greater psychological well-being impairment than scarring alopecia patients.
- Younger patients and women with non-scarring alopecia experienced more QoL impairment.
- PROMIS scores indicated mild anxiety and depressive symptoms in both alopecia types.

## Abstract

Hair loss disorders impact quality of life (QoL) far beyond cosmetic issues, with previous studies showing mild to moderate impairment. This study aimed to assess QoL impairment in hair loss patients, comparing scarring and non‐scarring alopecia, and to analyze possibly related influencing factors.

An exploratory cross‐sectional study of 510 patients (281 with non‐scarring and 229 with scarring alopecia) was conducted at the Charité –Universitätsmedizin Berlin's dermatology outpatient clinic. DLQI and PROMIS questionnaires were completed. T‐tests, three‐factor analysis of variance with post hoc tests, and correlation analyses were used for evaluation.

Hair loss disorders can lead to an impaired QoL, with psychological well‐being being the most affected. DLQI scores showed moderate impairment in both alopecia types. In addition, PROMIS indicated mild anxiety impairment in both, and mild depressive symptoms in non‐scarring alopecia. Subjects with non‐scarring type were more affected in their psychological well‐being than those with scarring alopecia. A greater impairment was partially observed at a younger age in both types of alopecia and in women with non‐scarring alopecia.

This exploratory study suggests that hair loss may lead to a notable emotional burden; thus, psychological support could be considered beneficial in hair loss management.