TLDR PUVA treatment is generally ineffective for alopecia areata.
A 10-year retrospective review of PUVA treatment for 70 patients with alopecia areata partialis, totalis, and universalis at St John's Institute of Dermatology found that the treatment was generally ineffective. Excluding cases of vellus hair growth and those who lost regrowth rapidly, the success rates were 6.3% for alopecia areata partialis, 12.5% for alopecia areata totalis, and 13.3% for alopecia areata universalis. The study concluded that PUVA is not a generally effective treatment for alopecia areata.
36 citations,
June 1990 in “Archives of Dermatology” Using minoxidil and anthralin together can improve hair regrowth in severe alopecia areata patients who didn't respond to individual treatments.
101 citations,
March 1987 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” Minoxidil solution helps hair regrowth in alopecia areata, with 5% being more effective.
63 citations,
April 1985 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology” Topical PUVA can cause temporary hair regrowth in some alopecia areata patients but doesn't change the long-term outcome.
17 citations,
January 1977 in “Dermatology” Ultraviolet light helped hair growth more effectively than triamcinolone acetonide.
January 2021 in “International journal of dermatology, venereology and leprosy sciences” Trichoscopy shows black dots, yellow dots, and empty follicles are common in Alopecia Areata, with broken and exclamation mark hair as typical patterns.
3 citations,
July 2017 in “International journal of medicine” Intralesional triamcinolone acetonide effectively treats alopecia areata, as shown by significant improvements in hair regrowth and dermoscopic indicators.
November 2016 in “대한피부과학회지” The document's conclusion cannot be summarized as it is not provided in a language I can understand.
5 citations,
June 2015 in “Veterinary dermatology” A dog with complete hair loss regrew most hair after treatment, with no relapse after stopping treatment.
14 citations,
January 2011 in “International Journal of Trichology” Some people with severe, long-lasting baldness responded well to a specific combination treatment.
