What should you know about getting a bald spot?

A smooth, round patch without scale may occur with alopecia areata, an immune-related form of hair loss. A patch with scale, broken hairs, tenderness, crusting, or swollen glands can occur with scalp ringworm, which needs medical treatment. Tight hairstyles, repeated rubbing, chemical damage, and habits that pull hair can also create local loss.

The pattern matters: one stable patch is different from rapidly enlarging areas, loss of eyebrows or eyelashes, or thinning across the scalp. Hair may regrow after some causes, while scarring can prevent regrowth, making early assessment useful.

Take a clear photograph in similar lighting and note when the patch appeared, whether it itches or hurts, and any recent illness, stress, hairstyle, hair product, or contact with an affected person or pet. Do not share combs, hats, or brushes if infection is possible.

A clinician may inspect the scalp and examine hairs or skin. Treatment depends on the cause; a hair transplant is not a first step while an active inflammatory or infectious process is unexplained.

Book an assessment for any new unexplained patch, especially if it is enlarging. Seek prompt care for pain, pus, crusting, marked redness, fever, broken hairs, or tender neck glands. Urgent advice is appropriate for rapid widespread hair loss or facial swelling with breathing difficulty.

Ask whether the patch looks smooth or scaly, whether testing for infection is needed, what treatments fit the cause, how to protect nearby hair, and what changes should trigger an earlier review.