From the Guidelines
Treatments for Alopecia
The most effective treatments for alopecia are intralesional corticosteroids and contact immunotherapy, with the choice of treatment depending on the extent and severity of hair loss.
- For limited patchy hair loss, intralesional corticosteroids such as triamcinolone acetonide (5-10 mg/mL) or hydrocortisone acetate (25 mg/mL) are commonly used, with a response rate of around 62% 1.
- For extensive patchy hair loss, contact immunotherapy is the best-documented treatment, although it is not widely available and has a response rate of less than 50% 1.
- Topical corticosteroids and minoxidil lotion are also used, but there is limited evidence of their effectiveness, and they are generally considered safe but not highly effective 1.
- Systemic corticosteroids and PUVA have been used to treat alopecia areata, but their use is limited due to potential side effects and lack of evidence of efficacy 1.
- Ciclosporin has been suggested as a potential treatment due to its immunosuppressive and hypertrichotic properties, but more research is needed to support its use 1. It's worth noting that not treating alopecia areata may be the best option in many cases, given the tendency for spontaneous remission and the lack of adverse effects on general health 1.
From the Research
Treatments for Alopecia
The following are some of the treatments for alopecia:
- Pharmaceutical options: minoxidil and finasteride 2, 3, 4, 5
- Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) 2, 3, 6, 4, 5
- Non-pharmacologic approaches:
- Multimodal treatments: combining physical therapies such as PEMF-LLLT 2
Effectiveness of Treatments
Studies have shown that:
- LLLT is a superior treatment for androgenetic alopecia 6
- Minoxidil and finasteride are effective in promoting hair growth in men with androgenetic alopecia 4
- Minoxidil is effective in women with androgenetic alopecia 4
- PRP, finasteride, and minoxidil are approximately equivalent in mean change hair count following treatment 6