Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Management Strategies of Alopecia in Saudi Arabia: A Systematic Review
Background: Hair loss disorders, such as alopecia areata and androgenetic alopecia, are prevalent conditions that significantly impact individuals’ physical appearance and psychological well-being. Methods: We followed Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. We searched PubMed, Google Scholar, and Saudi journals using relevant terms. Eleven studies met the inclusion criteria. Results: Prevalence of hair loss ranged from 13.8% to 71.3%. Key risk factors included stress, vitamin D deficiency, metabolic syndrome, autoimmune disease, and COVID-19. Only 35% sought medical advice. Use of low-dose oral minoxidil was limited. Conclusion Hair loss is common in Saudi Arabia and often goes untreated. Public education, improved access to care, and future research are needed.
Authors
- Nishi Ann
- Ahmad Almeman (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6521-9463)
- Sadeem Wadia Asali
- Sarah M Tawashi
- Ali Saleh Alkhoshaiban
- Turki S. Alabood
- Yaman Walid Kassab
- Fakhr Al-Ayoubi
- Hamad Alhomuidi
- Youssef Obaeed Alharbi
Institutions
- Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University (SA)
- University of Calicut (IN)
- Qassim University (SA)
- National University of Science and Technology (ZW)
- Muscat College (OM)
- King Khalid University Hospital (SA)
- Dar Al Uloom University (SA)
- Jazan University (SA)
Publication Details
- Journal
- International journal of Nutrition Pharmacology Neurological Diseases
- Published
- 2026-03-12
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.4103/ijnpnd.ijnpnd_145_25
- Primary Topic
- Hair Growth and Disorders
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00