title: Current and future treatments of alopecia areata and trichotillomania in children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Treatment options for hair disorders are generally very limited. These options are even more limited in children due to the lack of trials and clinical research. Moreover, physicians are sometimes scared to treat children with drugs without safety data, especially because most hair disorders are benign.
  
  
  METHODS
  The objective of this paper is to review current and future treatments for alopecia areata and trichotillomania, two disorders that are sometimes encountered in differential diagnosis or even occur together and probably affect the mental condition of the patient involved more than others.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hair disorders are very stressful in paediatric population. Both physicians and families are often unsatisfied leading to non-compliance. New drugs with less side- effects are needed to increase the percentage of cure. It is also crucial to refine genetic studies on alopecia areata in order to identify new potential drugs worth studying. Moreover, studies on trichotillomania should not be evaluated only by psychiatrics, but also by dermatologists.
authors.affiliation: a Private Dermatology Practice , Bellinzona , Switzerland.
authors.forename: Matilde
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Iorizzo
authors.affiliation: b Kinderhuid.nl, Rotterdam & Hair Outpatient Clinic , Breda & Dermicis Skin Clinic , Alkmaar , the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Arnold P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Oranje
mesh_terms: D000506:Alopecia Areata / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D003879:Dermatologic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000072085:Dermatologists; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D014256:Trichotillomania / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D003879:Dermatologic Agents
keywords: Alopecia areata; children; hair disorders; treatment; trichotillomania