Associations Between Season, Climate, and Pediatric Alopecia Areata Flares in Providence, Rhode Island

September 2023 in “ Archives of Dermatological Research ”

Helen Zhang, Elisabeth A. George-Washburn, Erica Lin, Navya Baranwal, Rachel Lim, Joseph Caravaglio, Abrar A. Qureshi, Eunyoung Cho

alopecia areata pediatric alopecia areata seasonal variations climate factors hair loss episodes air pressure hours of sunlight atopic disease AA

TLDR Hair loss in children with alopecia areata is more common in winter and linked to climate factors like air pressure and sunlight.

This study conducted a retrospective chart review of 123 pediatric patients with alopecia areata (AA) in Providence, Rhode Island, to explore the relationship between seasonal variations, climate factors, and AA flare frequency. The analysis revealed that hair loss episodes were most frequent in winter (28.1%) and least frequent in summer (21.7%). Significant correlations were found between AA flare frequency and climate variables such as air pressure (R = 0.61) and hours of sunlight (R = -0.60). These correlations were significant in patients without a history of atopic disease but not in those with such a history. The study suggests that climate factors may influence AA flare frequency, although the small sample size is a limitation.