78 citations
,
March 2017 in “JAMA Dermatology” Tofacitinib helped regrow hair in people with severe alopecia, but side effects occurred and benefits stopped after treatment ended.
25 citations
,
March 2017 in “International Journal of Dermatology” In this case report, two women with chronic alopecia areata and acute alopecia universalis experienced sustained and near-complete hair regrowth after over a year of treatment with oral ruxolitinib, without significant side effects.
49 citations
,
March 2017 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology” This case series found that oral tofacitinib treatment in eight adolescents with alopecia universalis led to significant regrowth of hair, though relapse is likely after stopping therapy.
7 citations
,
January 2017 in “International Journal of Dermatology” This study found that superficial cryotherapy significantly increased hair density and thickness in treated eyebrows compared to untreated controls after 5 months in patients with alopecia areata.
24 citations
,
January 2017 in “Pediatric dermatology” This study found that 1% anthralin ointment effectively promoted hair growth in children with chronic, severe alopecia areata, showing complete or partial responses in 70% of participants over 12 months, without serious adverse events.
36 citations
,
December 2016 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” In this study, researchers evaluated the hair pull test and found that normal values should be reduced to two hairs or fewer, with no significant impact from hair washing, brushing, or lifestyle factors such as hair texture and medication use.
139 citations
,
November 2016 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology” In this retrospective review, tofacitinib treatment was associated with clinically significant hair regrowth in most adolescent patients with alopecia areata, though limitations suggest further studies are needed to confirm these findings.
238 citations
,
November 2016 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” In this study, tofacitinib was reported to improve scalp hair regrowth in patients with severe alopecia areata, alopecia totalis, and alopecia universalis, showing a higher response in alopecia areata.
62 citations
,
October 2016 in “Dermatologic Therapy” This study found that platelet-rich plasma was more effective for treating alopecia areata than topical 5% minoxidil, leading to earlier hair regrowth and reduction in hair abnormalities.
16 citations
,
October 2016 in “The Journal of Dermatology” In this retrospective study, 60.9% of patients with alopecia areata responded to superficial hypothermic cryotherapy, with effectiveness notably higher when the treatment interval was 2 weeks or less, particularly in early disease stages, and minimal side effects were observed.
13 citations
,
April 2016 in “Journal of Dermatology” In this study, 308-nm excimer light therapy showed significant effects in some patients with treatment-resistant alopecia universalis, suggesting it as a potential alternative therapy.
70 citations
,
April 2016 in “Experimental Dermatology” In this study, oral tofacitinib treatment led to significant hair regrowth and changes in skin and blood biomarkers in a patient with alopecia areata.
9 citations
,
April 2016 in “Australasian journal of dermatology” This study suggests that adding imiquimod to diphenylcyclopropenone treatment significantly improves outcomes for alopecia areata patients who initially do not respond to diphenylcyclopropenone alone.
31 citations
,
April 2016 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology” Oral dexamethasone may help regrow hair in adults with alopecia totalis and universalis.
50 citations
,
January 2016 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology” This systematic review of pulse corticosteroid therapy for alopecia areata found relatively low complete response rates, but responders experienced low relapse rates, indicating potential benefits for patients with favorable prognostic factors.
96 citations
,
December 2015 in “JAMA dermatology” This article discusses the potential of topical ruxolitinib as a treatment for alopecia universalis and acknowledges the need for alternatives to systemic JAK inhibitors due to the risk of serious side effects.
41 citations
,
December 2015 in “JAMA Dermatology” Tofacitinib citrate improved nail dystrophy and pain in patients with alopecia universalis without causing side effects.
68 citations
,
November 2015 in “The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology” In this study, three patients with extensive alopecia areata showed varying degrees of hair regrowth after 20 weeks of treatment with ustekinumab, a cytokine-targeting therapy.
19 citations
,
October 2015 in “British Journal of Dermatology” This review reports very low quality evidence for the effectiveness and safety of treatments in extensive resistant alopecia areata and emphasizes the need for high-quality randomized controlled trials.
50 citations
,
July 2015 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology” This study found that 2.5 mg/mL triamcinolone acetonide injections were as effective as higher doses for treating limited, patchy alopecia areata, while minimizing side effects like skin atrophy.
16 citations
,
March 2015 in “Dermatologic therapy” This study reported two cases of alopecia areata where hair regrowth was achieved with zinc gluconate and sulfur amino acids after relapse post-PUVA cessation, suggesting potential zinc responsiveness in some patients.
184 citations
,
February 2015 in “EBioMedicine” This study observed that baricitinib treatment led to significant improvement in a patient's alopecia areata symptoms and suggests further clinical trials to explore its potential as a treatment.
44 citations
,
February 2015 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology” This study found that combination therapy with diphenylcyclopropenone and anthralin was more effective for complete hair regrowth in chronic extensive alopecia areata than diphenylcyclopropenone alone, despite more common side effects.
14 citations
,
January 2015 in “Annals of dermatology/Annals of Dermatology” This study found that corticosteroid pulse therapy may be more effective than oral cyclosporine with corticosteroid for patients with severe alopecia areata, especially for those with the plurifocal type or a short disease duration.
36 citations
,
January 2015 in “Dermatology” In this study, bimatoprost solution showed better results than corticosteroid in terms of rapidity, percentage of hair regrowth, and side effects for treating scalp alopecia areata.
37 citations
,
October 2014 in “JAMA dermatology” This case report describes a woman with alopecia universalis, resistant to multiple treatments, who experienced successful hair regrowth with adalimumab, suggesting potential mechanisms for future investigation.
701 citations
,
August 2014 in “Nature medicine” This study found that JAK inhibitors promote hair regrowth in both mice and human alopecia areata cases by blocking key immune pathways involved in disease development.
185 citations
,
June 2014 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” This case report describes complete hair regrowth in a patient with alopecia universalis and improved psoriasis after treatment with the oral Janus kinase inhibitor, tofacitinib.
49 citations
,
November 2013 in “JAMA dermatology” This study found that topical clobetasol propionate cream was more effective than hydrocortisone cream in reducing hair loss surface area in children with patchy alopecia areata over 24 weeks, with no serious adverse effects.
33 citations
,
October 2013 in “Cutaneous and ocular toxicology” This article discusses the autoimmune pathogenesis of alopecia areata and reviews the use of immunosuppressive therapies in its treatment, but it does not provide new clinical results.
24 citations
,
August 2013 in “Facial Plastic Surgery Clinics of North America” This review discusses scalp micropigmentation techniques and their customization to individual patients, but reports no new clinical results.
29 citations
,
June 2013 in “Journal of the Saudi Society of Dermatology & Dermatologic Surgery” This review outlines the mechanisms, clinical features, and management strategies for alopecia areata and presents no new experimental findings.
205 citations
,
April 2013 in “British Journal of Dermatology” In this study, platelet-rich plasma significantly increased hair regrowth and reduced symptoms of alopecia areata compared to triamcinolone acetonide or placebo, with no observed side effects.
37 citations
,
September 2012 in “Archives of dermatology” Diphencyprone can help some children with alopecia areata regrow hair, but it often causes side effects.
18 citations
,
August 2012 in “Chinese journal of integrative medicine/Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine” This study reported that total glucosides of paeony capsules were as effective and safe as compound glycyrrhizin tablets for treating mild to moderate alopecia areata.
20 citations
,
January 2012 in “International journal of trichology” In this study, among various treatments for localized alopecia areata, intralesional and topical steroids were found to be the most effective with no significant side effects.
51 citations
,
December 2011 in “The Journal of Dermatology” This review discusses updated treatment guidelines for alopecia areata in Japan, highlighting new options like corticosteroid pulse therapy, but reports no new clinical results.
37 citations
,
November 2011 in “Photodermatology Photoimmunology & Photomedicine” This study found that narrowband UVB phototherapy alone is not very effective for severe alopecia areata, with improved responses noted primarily in patients also receiving corticosteroid injections.
67 citations
,
July 2011 in “Clinical, cosmetic and investigational dermatology” This review discusses various therapeutic agents for alopecia areata, categorized by efficacy and safety, and highlights the lack of curative treatments and long-term outcome studies.
66 citations
,
May 2011 in “Dermatologic therapy” This report discusses guidelines for designing alopecia clinical trials that account for variables affecting results, but it presents no new efficacy findings.
70 citations
,
April 2011 in “British journal of dermatology/British journal of dermatology, Supplement” This retrospective study found that methotrexate had variable efficacy in treating severe alopecia areata in children, with successful hair regrowth observed in five out of thirteen assessable cases.
12 citations
,
January 2011 in “Photodermatology, photoimmunology & photomedicine” This study found that phototoxic psoralen and ultraviolet A therapy with topical 8-MOP was effective in treating alopecia areata resistant to other treatments, improving hair regrowth with minimal side effects.
48 citations
,
January 2011 in “International journal of trichology” This study found that intralesional triamcinolone acetonide was most effective for hair regrowth in localized alopecia areata, with betamethasone valerate foam also being beneficial, while tacrolimus ointment showed no significant effect.
24 citations
,
December 2010 in “Dermatologic surgery” In this study, BTXA injections did not effectively treat recalcitrant alopecia areata or improve hair regrowth in most patients, suggesting its limitations as an alternative therapy.
43 citations
,
November 2009 in “Archives of dermatology” This study found that alefacept showed no significant improvement in treating severe alopecia areata compared to placebo over a 24-week period.
44 citations
,
October 2009 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology” This study reported that 1% bexarotene gel was well tolerated and possibly effective for inducing partial hair regrowth in alopecia areata, but more rigorous trials are needed to confirm its efficacy.
79 citations
,
September 2009 in “Pediatric dermatology” This study found that the 308-nm Excimer laser was effective and safe for treating patchy alopecia areata in children, with hair regrowth observed in 60% of treated scalp patches.
55 citations
,
March 2009 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” This study found that latanoprost and bimatoprost, when applied cutaneously to the eyelids, did not induce appreciable eyelash regrowth in patients with alopecia areata over 16 weeks.
45 citations
,
July 2008 in “International Journal of Dermatology” This study found that oral sulfasalazine led to varying hair regrowth outcomes in patients with persistent alopecia areata, with 56.3% showing moderate to good responses.
13 citations
,
December 2007 in “The Journal of Dermatology” This study reports two cases of alopecia areata that responded to the antihistamine fexofenadine.
61 citations
,
January 2007 in “Indian Journal of Dermatology Venereology and Leprology” This study found that garlic gel significantly improved the efficacy of topical betamethasone valerate in treating alopecia areata compared to placebo.
114 citations
,
October 2006 in “Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology” In this study, clobetasol propionate foam demonstrated effectiveness and good patient compliance as a safe topical treatment for moderate to severe alopecia areata, with significant hair regrowth compared to placebo.
12 citations
,
January 2006 in “Journal of Dermatological Treatment” This open-pilot study found that topical 1% sildenafil did not show significant hair growth in children with alopecia areata, as outcomes seemed due to spontaneous disease regression.
97 citations
,
January 2006 in “Dermatology” This study found that intramuscular triamcinolone acetonide or pulse therapy effectively treats alopecia areata with manageable side effects, but further strategies are needed to reduce relapse rates.
63 citations
,
January 2006 in “Journal of cosmetic and laser therapy” This study found that pulsed infrared diode laser therapy (904 nm) was effective in promoting hair regrowth in 94% of patients with resistant patches of alopecia areata.
141 citations
,
February 2005 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology” In this study, oral prednisolone pulse therapy led to significant hair regrowth in some patients with extensive alopecia areata, whereas no improvement was seen in the placebo group.
27 citations
,
January 2005 in “American Journal of Clinical Dermatology” This pilot study found that azelaic acid treatment for patchy alopecia areata had similar hair regrowth results as anthralin, suggesting it may be an effective topical therapy.
85 citations
,
November 2004 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology” The 308-nm excimer laser helps hair regrowth in some alopecia areata cases but not all.
66 citations
,
July 2003 in “International Journal of Dermatology” This study found that betamethasone valerate foam was more effective and well-tolerated than betamethasone dipropionate lotion in treating mild-to-moderate alopecia areata, with higher hair regrowth rates observed.
146 citations
,
July 2003 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology” In this study, clobetasol propionate 0.05% ointment was found to induce hair regrowth in 28.5% of patients with severe alopecia areata under occlusive conditions, though long-term benefit was limited to 17.8%.
95 citations
,
June 2002 in “The Journal of Dermatology” In this study, using topical crude onion juice significantly improved hair regrowth in patients with patchy alopecia areata compared to tap water.
62 citations
,
April 2002 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology” In this study, sulfasalazine treatment resulted in cosmetically acceptable hair regrowth in 23% of patients with severe alopecia areata in whom a response could be determined.
17 citations
,
December 2001 in “Dermatologic therapy” This review discusses various treatment options for alopecia areata tailored by age and severity, providing a practical algorithm, but reports no new clinical results.
30 citations
,
January 1999 in “Dermatology” This study found that cyclosporine A may lead to partial hair regrowth in 50% of patients with severe alopecia areata who do not respond to standard treatments.
122 citations
,
November 1998 in “Archives of Dermatology” This study found that aromatherapy involving essential oils significantly improved symptoms of alopecia areata compared to carrier oils alone in a randomized controlled trial.
11 citations
,
April 1997 in “International Journal of Dermatology” This article discusses using topical tretinoin with intralesional triamcinolone acetonide for alopecia areata in northern Saudi Arabia, but it reports no new clinical findings.
13 citations
,
August 1995 in “British Journal of Dermatology” This study found that dapsone treatment for severe alopecia areata resulted in hair regrowth rates similar to spontaneous recovery, making it significantly less effective than topical immunotherapy.
46 citations
,
June 1990 in “Archives of dermatology” In this study, combination therapy with 5% minoxidil and 0.5% anthralin showed some cosmetic improvement in 11% of patients with severe treatment-resistant alopecia areata, with hair regrowth starting by week 12.
109 citations
,
November 1987 in “Archives of dermatology” In this study, 0.5%-1.0% anthralin cream led to a cosmetic response in 25% of patients with severe alopecia areata, despite common side effects like pruritus and erythema.
37 citations
,
March 1986 in “Acta Dermato Venereologica” In this study, there was no significant difference in hair growth between patients with extensive alopecia areata treated with 1% minoxidil and those receiving a placebo.
80 citations
,
October 1983 in “BMJ” This study found that 1% topical minoxidil induced significant hair regrowth in patients with alopecia areata, though it was less effective for those with extensive hair loss such as alopecia totalis and universalis.