title: Dermatography as a new treatment for alopecia areata of the eyebrows.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Alopecia areata is considered to be an autoimmune disease. It consists of patchy hair loss of the scalp and the eyebrows, making it a disfiguring condition. This 10-year study was designed to assess the usefulness of the treatment of the eyebrows with dermatography as a relatively quick and simple method to obtain a cosmetically satisfactory result.
  
  
  METHODS
  The eyebrow areas were covered with a halftone pattern of tiny dots of color pigments, using a Van der Velden Derma-injector, without anesthesia. On average, two to three dermatography sessions of 1 h were required. The follow-up was 4 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty three patients, most of whom had been previously treated with a sensitizer such as dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB), were treated with dermatography. Four patients had also been treated by a beautician with a crude form of tattooing. The results in 30 patients were excellent. In three patients the results were good.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Dermatography is a technique offering a good alternative for time-consuming, troublesome treatment modalities that often have considerable side-effects. With dermatography, no side-effects were found.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermato-Venereology, Academic Hospital Rotterdam-Dijkzigt, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: van der Velden
authors.forename: B H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Drost
authors.forename: O E
authors.initials: OE
authors.lastname: Ijsselmuiden
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Baruchin
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Hulsebosch
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000506:Alopecia Areata / Q000628:therapy*; D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000628:therapy*; D005138:Eyebrows; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006201:Hair Diseases / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013653:Tattooing; D016896:Treatment Outcome