Helping patients cope with chronic alopecia areata.

Helping a patient cope with a frustrating and unpredictable disease like alopecia areata can be a difficult task for many dermatology nurses. Five dermatology nurses who practice in the United States and Canada say that one important resource that should not be overlooked during the course of treatment of alopecia areata is the patient support group. Another major resource is the referral of patients to the National Alopecia Areata Foundation, which coordinates the patient support groups.