The dermatologist’s view: Stress is a physical, mental, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension and can be internal or external. It is more than fair to say that covid has caused a great deal of stress for all of us. Has it also contributed to alopecia in our patients? This presentation explores the causes of alopecia from a dermatological angle. It discusses the potential of stress caused by covid and other situations to contribute to the development of alopecia. Specific emphasis is put on the work up of the patient presented for hair loss. Some conditions are highlighted for which stress is presumed to be a major factor in the pathogenesis.

The behaviourist’s view: The global pandemic has caused considerable disruption to the lives of most people, including pet caregivers. This presentation considers whether this disruption has the potential to lead to emotional impact on the non-human animals in the household and whether any such impact could be relevant in relation to their dermatological health. The role of comprehensive history taking and clinical examination when considering the interplay between emotional, cognitive and physical health is discussed. Clinical cases are included in which behavioural and dermatological factors are relevant and the benefits of considering both of these when working up those challenging cases of alopecia are discussed. The behavioural medicine approach to that work up is also discussed.