> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.hi-doctor.ai/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Alopecia areata > Alopecia areata is autoimmune hair loss, not always a candidate for the same treatments as genetic hair loss — how the consultation works. Alopecia areata is autoimmune, so it isn't always a candidate for the same treatments as genetic hair loss. A doctor reviews your case and guides you from there. Because the cause is autoimmune rather than hormonal, the treatments that work for pattern hair loss (such as finasteride or minoxidil) do not automatically apply here. The doctor's review is what determines whether they, or something else, are relevant to your case. ## Your path to treatment Answer a short questionnaire about your health and goal. No in-person appointment, no travel. You'll know within 24 hours if you're a candidate. A licensed doctor reviews your answers personally. If they need clarifications, they message you in the private chat on your account. If treatment is appropriate, they sign an electronic prescription. If the doctor does not approve treatment, the consultation fee is refunded in full. Private chat with your doctor for questions, a check-in, and renewal before your prescription expires. ## How Hi-Doctor handles it Hi-Doctor's hair growth consultation is available as an ongoing plan with doctor-reviewed renewals — see [pricing](/essentials/pricing) for how the plan and refund work. The doctor decides, case by case, whether a treatment is appropriate; nothing is prescribed automatically. See [how it works](/essentials/how-it-works) for the full consultation flow. ## When an in-person specialist matters more Some presentations of alopecia areata need assessment that an online consultation cannot provide. Where that is the case, the reviewing doctor will say so directly rather than force a fit — declining, or referring you onward, is a normal and expected outcome of the review. ## Eligibility from anywhere in the EU The same consultation, doctor-review standard and eligibility checks apply wherever you are in the EU — there is no separate process for a particular country. See [how it works](/essentials/how-it-works) for the full flow from questionnaire to doctor decision. ## Related reading Alopecia areata is distinct from pattern hair loss, where the cause is hormonal rather than autoimmune — see [androgenetic alopecia](/library/conditions/androgenetic-alopecia) for that condition and the medicines used for it, such as [finasteride](/library/guides/hair-growth-finasteride). For Hi-Doctor's safeguards on who decides treatment and what happens when a case isn't suitable, see [safety](/essentials/safety). ## Start a consultation Answer the hair-growth questionnaire and a registered doctor reviews it. They decide whether treatment is appropriate, which one, and at what dose — and declining is a normal outcome. See [what it costs](/essentials/pricing) and [how the review works](/essentials/how-it-works). This page is reference information, not medical advice and not a prescription. Whether a medicine is appropriate for you is decided by a registered doctor after reviewing your consultation.