Alopecia Areata Prevalence in Australia: Insights From a Nationally Representative Cross-Sectional Survey Study

    May 2026 in “ Australasian Journal of Dermatology ”
    Rodney Sinclair, Samantha Eisman, Leona Yip, Maureen Hitschfeld, Anna Williamson, Giles Stratton, Christoph Lohan, Carol M. Y. Lee, Komal Kapoor, Candida da Fonseca Pereira
    TLDR Alopecia areata affects 1.2% to 2.3% of Australians, with many unaware of treatment options.
    A cross-sectional survey conducted in Australia with 8,256 participants estimated the lifetime prevalence of alopecia areata (AA) among those aged ≥ 15 years to be between 1.2% and 2.3%, and the point prevalence to be between 0.9% and 1.4%. Of the 194 participants with potential AA, 125 were diagnosed by healthcare providers, while 69 were self-diagnosed. Notably, 31.2% of healthcare provider-diagnosed participants were not using any treatment, with 23.1% unaware of available options. The study highlights a need for better AA education in Australia, as a significant portion of individuals are self-diagnosed and lack awareness of treatment options.
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