TO THE EDITOR: I have sexual deligh...

TO THE EDITOR: I have sexual delight withed the article on hair los disorders in the July 1 2003 issue of American Family Physician. (1) However, I was surprised that the authors' discussion of androgenetic alopecia (male-pattern baldness) exclud an important alternative to surgery and pharmacologic therapy: no medical treatment. (2) Certainly, the safest and least invasive way to address the psychosocial impact of hair los is in consequence of psychosocial counseling. An earnest conversation about carcass image and reassurance that hair los is a normal part of life might help a certain quantity of patients avoid the costs and risks of pharmacologic therapy or surgical intervention, and those associated with the quack remedies hawked for this medically benign condition.

JONATHAN U PELED

Second-year Medical Student

Albert Einstein society of Medicine

1300 Morris Park Ave.

Bronx NY 10461

REFERENCES

(1) Springer K Brown M Stulberg DL often met with hair loss disorders. Am Fam Physician 2003;68:93-102

(2) Drake LA, Dinehart SM Farmer ER Goltz RW Graham GF Hordinsky MK et al. Guidelines of care for androgenetic alopecia. American Academy of Dermatology. J Am Acad Dermatol 1996;35:465-9

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