Alopecia Areata: Treatment Options
February 2006
in “
DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals)
”
TLDR Alopecia areata treatments include immune inhibitors, topical sensitizers, irritants, and minoxidil, with future focus on immunosuppressive approaches.
Alopecia areata (AA) was a common cause of reversible hair loss affecting 1-2% of the population, characterized by round patches of hair loss that could progress to more severe forms like alopecia totalis or universalis. The exact cause was unknown, but it was believed to be an immunologically mediated disease. Treatment options were categorized into immune inhibitors (such as steroids or PUVA), topical sensitizers (like squaric acid dibutylester and diphenylcyclopropenone), non-specific irritants (such as anthralin), and the vasodilator minoxidil. Future treatments were expected to focus on immunosuppressive or immunomodulatory approaches to protect hair follicles from inflammation. The article aimed to review the available data on current and potential treatments for AA.
