Quality of life assessment in patients with androgenetic alopecia

Abstract

Background: Male-pattern alopecia (MPA) or androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is a commonly encountered dermatological condition present in males and is less common among females. Although AGA is a physiological condition, its impact on person's self-esteem is so great that it cannot be ignored. It has a significant affect over a variety of physiological and social aspects of one's life and even on the individual's overall quality of life (QOL). Aims and Objectives: The aim of this study is to study the clinical profile of 200 male patients having MPA and to access its impact on QOL using the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) and hair-specific Skindex-29. Materials and Methods: Clinical profiles of 200 patients were studied, and QOL assessment was done using the DLQI and hair-specific Skindex-29 scales. Results: Of 200 cases of MPA, majority (41.5%) of the patients belonged to the age group of 21–30 years. Smoking, alcoholism, dietary habits, nature of work, and seasonal variation did not seem to affect the incidence of MPA. Positive family history of MPA was observed in 50% of patients. A mean DLQI score of 13.52 was recorded in the study. The main affected parameter was personal relations with mean score of 2.3. Maximum number of patients had DLQI score between 11 and 20. MPA was observed in 50% of patients. In the study, the mean hair-specific Skindex-29 score was found to be 75.62. The different subscale parameters in Skindex-29 were symptoms, functions, emotions; with respective score of 22.1 ± 5.025, 25.89 ± 4.814, and 27.73 ± 5.942. The major subscales affected were symptoms with a mean score of 3.14. Both hair-specific Skindex-29 and DLQI had a significant correlation, thereby suggesting that AGA significantly affects patient's QOL. Conclusion: AGA harmfully affected the patient's QOL which warns the physicians to pay more attention to QOL impairment in patients of AGA for the better understanding of the disease burden on individual patients.

Cross sectional quality of life assessment in patients with androgenetic alopecia

“…Many studies demonstrated that patients of younger age had a decreased QoL. 1,5,[8][9][10]22 In contrary to our results, Kranz found that psychological distress due to hair loss depended neither on the age of participants nor on the stage of balding. 28 In accordance, Al Mubki et al demonstrated that QoL was not affected by the patient's age in their study.…”

“…In accordance with our results, multiple researchers concluded that the longer the duration of AGA is; the more is the progression of hair loss and the more intolerance to alopecia is. 1,5,8,22 On the contrary, Mubki et al reported that QoL was not affected by the duration of the disease. A possible explanation for that is patients may gradually adapt to their chronic disease, such as AGA, and as time passes, their QoL gradually improves.…”

“…Loss of hair may lead to a distorted self-body image and may lead to psychological consequences and impose negative effects on quality of life (QoL). 1 The practice of hairstyling dates back to the Predynastic Period in ancient Egypt (4000-3050 BCE). Like most other social status markers, hairstyles helped to maintain and reinforce a person's social position and maintain their privileged access to goods and materials.…”

Patient characteristics, expectations and willingness to pay for hair loss therapies: A survey of 1561 participants at a tertiary dermatological referral centre in Singapore

“…Additional Supporting Information may be found online in Supporting Information: Letters to the Editors focused on specific diseases, for example, androgenetic alopecia. 4,5 This prospective cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary dermatological centre. The centre sees an average of 1560 new consultations for hair disorders annually, representing 4.9% of total new cases seen.…”

“…By embracing a diverse study population including those with mild and undiagnosed hair loss, we found a lower impact on QoL compared with other studies. 1,2,4,6 The strong racial component with Indians and South Asians (e.g. Pakistani, Sri Lankans) having worse QoL compared with Chinese and Malays highlights the cultural variation, with certain races placing more importance in the fullness of hair.…”