Unique Treatment for Alopecia Areata Combining Epinephrine With an Intralesional Steroid

August 2022 in “ Cutis ”

Stratulat

alopecia areata intralesional triamcinolone acetonide epinephrine lidocaine normal saline vasoconstriction AA ILTA

Studysummary This study reports two cases of severe alopecia areata showing seemingly permanent hair regrowth with a modified triamcinolone acetonide regimen involving epinephrine, and suggests a potential role for epinephrine in enhancing treatment efficacy. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.

This study explores a novel treatment for alopecia areata (AA) by combining intralesional triamcinolone acetonide (ILTA) with epinephrine and lidocaine, instead of the traditional normal saline. The authors report two severe AA cases that showed seemingly permanent hair regrowth with this new regimen. They hypothesize that the local vasoconstriction caused by epinephrine enhances the effectiveness of ILTA and that epinephrine may also have an independent role in promoting hair regrowth.

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research Two Phase 3 Trials of Baricitinib for Alopecia Areata

148 citations , March 2022 in “The New England Journal of Medicine”

In two phase 3 trials, this study found that oral baricitinib significantly improved hair regrowth compared to placebo in adults with severe alopecia areata after 36 weeks, though longer trials are needed to ascertain its long-term efficacy and safety.

research Systemic Treatments for Alopecia Areata: A Systematic Review

41 citations , September 2018 in “Australasian journal of dermatology”

This review suggests that oral prednisolone pulse therapy and oral inosiplex may be effective for alopecia areata, but robust evidence from randomized controlled trials is lacking, highlighting the need for better-designed future studies.