title: Psychosocial impact of cicatricial alopecias.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cicatricial alopecias have a significant impact on the psychological status, quality of life, and social interaction of those suffering from it. Till date, limited or no data have been available regarding the psychosocial and quality of life aspects of cicatricial alopecias.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the psychosocial impact of cicatricial alopecias.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty patients fulfilling the criteria for cicatricial alopecia irrespective of their age and sex were included in the study. Psychosocial assessment was carried out in 23 patients who were capable of responding to the questionnaire, using an adopted and suitably modified version of Women's Androgenetic Alopecia Quality of Life Questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We observed that 73.9% of our patients with cicatricial alopecias had moderate to severe psychosocial impact due to their hair loss. Patients of younger age group and with inactive disease, suffered from greater psychosocial impact of the disease. Patients with slight hair loss also had considerable psychological distress. The chronicity of disease duration did not seem to reduce the psychosocial impact of the disease. Both married and unmarried patients suffered equally from the psychosocial impact of the disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The management of cicatricial alopecias needs a holistic approach. In addition to laying an emphasis on early diagnosis aided by clinco-pathological correlation, to prevent irreversible hair loss, the psychosocial impact of the disease should also be taken into consideration and addressed by the treating dermatologist.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and STD, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Pondicherry, India .
authors.forename: Pratibha
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pradhan
authors.forename: Mariette
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: D'Souza
authors.forename: Bhawana Ashok
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Bade
authors.forename: Devinder Mohan
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Thappa
authors.forename: Laxmisha
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chandrashekar