Alopecia areata is a type of minor baldness which appears abruptly. It is characterized by the sudden loss of hair, and is not accompanied with any inflammatory damage or subjective symptoms. In TCM it is called (alopecia areata).

Mian Points of Diagnosis
1. There will be some round alopecia (hairless) areas found occasionally on the top of the head. There may only be one or more areas, the size of a coin or apricot, with a clear border. The scalp will be shiny. Alopecia areata can appear in several parts simultaneously or one next to each other.
2. Only a few patients lose all of their hair (bare head). This is called "alopecia capitis totalis." In special cases, some patients may lose all their hair all over the body including hair of the eyebrow, armpit, and so on. This is called "alopecia universalis."
3. It is a chronic disease without subjective symptoms, but may be associated with mental irritation or excessive mental strain. It can occur at any age and may recur after recovery.
Differentiation and Treatment of Common Syndromes
1. Internal Treatment
1) Deficiency of the Liver and Kidneys
Main Symptoms and Signs: There are many problem sites effected by alopecia areata on the head, this is accompanied with dizziness, tinnitus, impotence, lassitude in loins and knees, pale tongue with a little fur and a deep and thready pulse.
Therapeutic Principle: Nourishing the liver, kidneys, blood and dispelling pathogenic wind.
Recipe: Marvelous Genuine Qi Nourishing Pill
prepared rehmannia root
multiflower knotweed root
Chinese angelica root
white peony root
achyranthes root
dodder seed
chuanxiong rhizome
gastrodia tuber
chaenomeles fruit
notopterygium root

All the above drugs are to be decocted in water for oral administration, or grind 6 times of the above dosage into fine powder to make honey boluses. 10 grams each bolus. 1 or 2 boluses each time, twice a day.
2) Heart-Blood Deficiency Type
Main Symptoms and Signs: Alopecia areata, dim and pale complexion, palpitation and severe palpitation, insomnia, reddish tongue, and thready and rapid pulse.
Therapeutic Principle: Nourishing the blood and kidneys and tranquilizing the mind.
Recipe: Decoction for Nourishing the Spleen with additional ingredients
astragalus root
Chinese angelica root
prepared rehmannia root
multilflower knotweed root
dodder seed
wild jujube seed
pilosule asiabell root
big-head atractylodes rhizome
poria
polygala root
longan aril
aucklandia root
fresh ginger
Chinese-date

All the above drugs are to be decocted in water for oral administration.
2. External Treatment
1) Rub 30% of tincture of psoralea fruit to the affected part, three times a day.
2) Grind the same amount of psoralea fruit and Sichuan aconite root into a powder, and mix with 75% alcohol to rub the affected part, twice a day.
3) Cut fresh ginger into slices and use it to rub the affected part, five minutes each time, three times a day or use ginger slices for moxibustion, 15 minutes each time, once a day.

.