alopecia /al′əpē″shə/ [Gk, alopex, fox mange] , a partial or complete lack of hair resulting from normal aging, an endocrine disorder, a drug reaction, an anticancer medication, or a skin disease. It can occur in both women and men and may be scarring (cicatricial), with permanent damage to the hair follicle, or nonscarring, in which the hair may regrow. Kinds include alopecia areata, alopecia totalis, alopecia universalis, androgenetic alopecia, cicatricial alopecia, male pattern alopecia, premature alopecia.
