Are stress and baldness linked?

DEAR DR. GOTT: My son has a bald spot on the back of his head. His doctor said it was stress-related alopecia. His hair grew back and his scalp was normal, but the bald spot reappeared, bigger, and is lasting much longer. So his doctor told him to buy Rogaine.

Am I correct that now he should see a dermatologist? I don’t think he’s stressed.

DEAR READER: I’m not all that sure your son suffers from alopecia, an autoimmune disorder in which the immune system attacks hair follicles. In most cases, with the various types of alopecia, hair falls out in small patches about the size of a quarter. [Read more...]