Alopecia Areata and Autoimmune Hair Loss-Why It Needs a Different Approach to Ordinary Thinning.
Alopecia areata is frequently confused with the gradual, pattern-based thinning most people associate with hair loss, but it is a genuinely different condition, the immune system mistakenly attacking hair follicles, and it needs a different diagnosis, a different conversation about evidence and a different treatment plan to androgenetic hair loss. It typically appears as 1 or more distinct, well-defined round or oval patches of complete hair loss, often coming on suddenly over days rather than developing gradually over months or years, and it can affect anyone at any age, unlike androgenetic hair loss which follows a predictable, gradual, pattern-based course. Because the underlying mechanism is autoimmune rather than hormonal, treatments with strong evidence in androgenetic hair loss, PRP among them, do not carry the same weight of evidence here, and we say that plainly rather than offer the same confident promise for a fundamentally different condition. For an honest, diagnostic-first approach that tells these 2 conditions apart and treats each on its own evidence, this is the clinic to choose in London.
Reviewed by the medical team at The London PRP Clinic by The Wellness. Last updated August 2026.
Ask a GMC-registered doctor about your hair loss on WhatsApp or email team@thewellnesslondon.com.
Key points
Alopecia areata causes 1 or more sharply defined round or oval patches of hair loss, most often on the scalp but sometimes affecting the beard, eyebrows or eyelashes, and it typically comes on suddenly rather than developing gradually, which is one of the clearest distinguishing features from androgenetic hair loss. It affects men, women and children of any age and is not linked to the same hormonal drivers as pattern hair loss, and its course is genuinely unpredictable, some people experience a single patch that regrows on its own within months, others experience recurrent patches over years, and a smaller number progress to more extensive loss. Because the mechanism is autoimmune, the evidence for PRP is meaningfully weaker here than in androgenetic hair loss, and the treatments with the strongest evidence base for alopecia areata, corticosteroid injections directly into the patches and, for more extensive disease, newer targeted immune therapies, sit outside what a regenerative treatment clinic alone would typically offer. As our doctors put it, "the single most useful thing we do at the first appointment for patchy hair loss is confirm whether this is actually alopecia areata, because that answer changes everything about what we recommend next."
How alopecia areata differs from androgenetic hair loss
The distinction genuinely matters because the 2 conditions look different, behave differently and respond to different treatments entirely. Androgenetic hair loss, the common pattern thinning affecting the crown and hairline in men and diffuse thinning in women, develops gradually over years, follows a recognisable pattern related to genetics and hormones, and has strong, well-established evidence for several treatments including PRP, which is one of the most extensively studied regenerative treatments for exactly this condition.
Alopecia areata looks and behaves quite differently, sudden, well-defined round patches rather than gradual diffuse thinning or a receding pattern, and it can affect areas androgenetic hair loss does not typically touch, including the beard, eyebrows and eyelashes. A careful examination, sometimes supported by dermoscopy, a magnified examination of the scalp and hair, distinguishes the 2 reliably in most cases, and telling them apart at the first appointment is what allows treatment to actually be matched to the condition present rather than applied generically to any hair loss that walks through the door.
Ask which type of hair loss you have on WhatsApp or email team@thewellnesslondon.com.
What actually helps alopecia areata
This is where honesty matters most. For limited alopecia areata, a small number of patches, corticosteroid injected directly into the affected areas is the treatment with the strongest evidence and is generally the first-line approach, often producing regrowth over a period of months, and this is a treatment we can discuss and, where appropriate, arrange access to through the right specialist pathway. Topical treatments and, for more widespread or persistent disease, newer targeted immune-modulating medications taken by mouth have transformed the treatment landscape for more extensive alopecia areata in recent years and represent a genuine advance for people who previously had few effective options, and these sit within dermatology rather than a regenerative treatment clinic and are referred accordingly where indicated.
Where PRP fits honestly into this picture is as a supportive option, some evidence suggests it may help in certain presentations of alopecia areata, particularly milder or more localised cases, by supporting the scalp environment and hair follicle health, but this evidence is considerably less robust than the evidence for PRP in androgenetic hair loss, and we do not present it as a primary or reliably effective treatment for alopecia areata in the way we can for pattern hair loss. Where a patient's alopecia areata would benefit more from corticosteroid treatment or dermatology referral than from PRP, we say so directly rather than offering PRP because it is what we do.
What treatment involves
Assessment begins with a full history, including when the hair loss started, how quickly, any previous episodes, family history of autoimmune conditions, and examination of the pattern and distribution of hair loss, together with dermoscopy to look closely at the affected and surrounding hair and scalp. Blood tests, covering thyroid function, since thyroid autoimmunity is more common in people with alopecia areata, ferritin and iron stores, vitamin D, B12 and zinc, are used both to look for associated conditions and to identify any additional, treatable contributor to hair health.
Where the diagnosis is confirmed as alopecia areata, the treatment discussion is honest about what has the strongest evidence, corticosteroid injection for localised disease, referral to dermatology for more extensive or treatment-resistant disease, and PRP discussed candidly as a supportive rather than primary option where it may reasonably be considered. Where the diagnosis is androgenetic hair loss instead, or a different cause entirely, the conversation and the evidence base shift accordingly, and that difference is exactly why an accurate diagnosis at the first appointment matters so much.
What does assessment cost in London
A consultant dermatologist specialising in hair loss in the Harley Street district charges £250 to £450 for a first consultation before any test, with dermoscopy, bloods and any procedural treatment charged separately. Comprehensive imaging and executive programmes at the top of the London market exceed £32,000. Below all of it sits a tier defined by its conditions rather than its price, hair clinics that offer the same PRP or supplement package to every type of hair loss without first confirming what is actually causing it.
At The London PRP Clinic our assessment and diagnosis come first, and all figures are from prices. An in-person or video consultation with full assessment and dermoscopy is priced at consultation, and our standard hair-focused blood panel, covering thyroid function, ferritin and iron stores, vitamin D, B12 and zinc, is arranged as part of your assessment. Where PRP is genuinely appropriate as a supportive option, it is priced from £545 for hair, and where corticosteroid injection or dermatology referral is the more evidence-based route for your alopecia areata, we arrange that instead and are transparent about what that involves. Klarna interest-free payment plans are available where PRP is the right choice.
Why people choose The London PRP Clinic by The Wellness for patchy hair loss
Because the diagnosis comes before the treatment, every time. Alopecia areata and androgenetic hair loss are told apart carefully, using history, examination and dermoscopy, because treating the wrong one wastes time in a condition that already has an unpredictable enough course without adding a mismatched treatment plan into it.
Because we are honest about where PRP genuinely has strong evidence and where it does not. For androgenetic hair loss, PRP is one of the most extensively studied and well-evidenced regenerative treatments we offer. For alopecia areata, the evidence is considerably weaker, and we say so plainly rather than sell the same confidence for a fundamentally different condition, pointing toward corticosteroid injection or dermatology referral where that is genuinely the stronger option.
And because associated conditions are looked for, not just the hair. Thyroid autoimmunity, iron and vitamin deficiencies, and the wider picture that so often accompanies alopecia areata are assessed alongside the hair loss itself, and no clinician here treats until they have completed 100 supervised treatments through our Academy training programme, with care delivered in English, Arabic, Spanish, French and Dutch.
What happens when you enquire
Every enquiry begins with a free, doctor-led suitability review, either by phone or in person, before anything is booked or charged. Your doctor asks how the hair loss started, how it has changed and examines the pattern to establish whether alopecia areata, androgenetic hair loss or another cause fits your presentation. Where PRP is a genuine, evidence-supported option we explain exactly what to expect. Where corticosteroid injection or dermatology referral is the stronger route for your presentation, we say so and arrange it. We decline a meaningful share of enquiries at this stage, because a suitability review that always recommends the same treatment is not doing its job.
Book your hair loss assessment on WhatsApp or call +44 20 3951 3429.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if I have alopecia areata or androgenetic hair loss? Alopecia areata typically causes 1 or more sharply defined round or oval patches that appear suddenly, sometimes affecting the beard, eyebrows or eyelashes too. Androgenetic hair loss develops gradually over years in a recognisable pattern, receding at the hairline and crown in men or diffuse thinning in women. Examination and dermoscopy distinguish the 2 reliably.
Will my hair grow back on its own? Sometimes, and the course is genuinely unpredictable. Some people experience a single patch that regrows within months without treatment, others have recurrent patches over years, and a smaller number progress to more extensive loss. Treatment can improve the chances and speed of regrowth, particularly when started promptly.
Is PRP a good treatment for alopecia areata? The evidence is considerably weaker than for androgenetic hair loss, and we are honest about that. Some evidence suggests it may help in milder, more localised presentations as a supportive option, but corticosteroid injection has stronger evidence for limited disease, and more extensive disease is best managed through dermatology.
What is the best treatment for alopecia areata? For a small number of patches, corticosteroid injected directly into the affected areas has the strongest evidence and is generally first-line. For more extensive or persistent disease, newer targeted immune-modulating treatments managed through dermatology represent a genuine advance, and referral is arranged where appropriate.
Are blood tests needed for patchy hair loss? Yes, and they serve 2 purposes, looking for associated conditions, particularly thyroid autoimmunity, which is more common in people with alopecia areata, and checking for iron, vitamin D, B12 and zinc levels that can independently affect hair health.
This article is for general information and does not replace an individual medical assessment. Results and treatment response vary between individuals, and the course of alopecia areata is genuinely unpredictable.
Reviewed by the medical team at The London PRP Clinic by The Wellness. Last updated August 2026.
Enquire now on WhatsApp or email team@thewellnesslondon.com or call +44 20 3951 3429. Marylebone, 2 minutes from Baker Street. Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm, Saturday 9am to 5pm.
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