Patchy Hair Loss Pattern

Dr. Rassman,
I’m a 21 year old male and I’m quite physical fit and eat properly without excessive drinking or smoking. For the past four months now I have been noticing some patchy hairloss on different parts of my head. One being on the left side and the other largest being on the right rear near my crown. At first it looked like perhaps alopecia but the patches were not round and also not smooth. Now the balding on the right side has turned into what looks like a circle, almost like a crop circle at least 3 to 4 inches in diameter and the left side it also a random pattern that is not fully smooth. I have also noticed a small circle on the back of my head down by my neck. I saw a dermatologist and apperantly she has never seen this before and now has me taking a bunch of blood test for HIV, syphilis, and lupus. I am most certain I dont have HIV or syphilis and I do not have any other symptons of lupus. Do you have any ideas what this unusual hair loss pattern could be? Thanks for the help.

If you have a series of bald patches that appeared on your head, I would be concerned that you might have Alopecia Areata (search this site for “Alopecia Areata”). I am surprised that your dermatologist said that she’d never seen this before, as it is a common problem in the study of dermatology. This can be a serious matter and you may want to see another doctor if what you said is true. Read the website material and learn about this condition. Then when you meet with either your present doctor or the next dermatologist, bring this up as a diagnosis possibilities. You also must realize that I am taking what you say as what you reported here.