TLDR Corticosteroids worked better than anthralin cream for hair regrowth.
A 4-year-old girl with a 15-month history of alopecia areata was treated with anthralin 0.1% cream on the left side of her scalp and corticosteroids on the right side. After 4 months, only the right side showed hair regrowth. This bilateral treatment approach, where each side of the scalp is treated differently, allowed for a direct comparison of the effectiveness of the two treatments. This method is beneficial in clinical practice to quickly identify the more effective treatment.
164 citations,
April 2008 in “Cochrane library” Current treatments for alopecia show no significant long-term benefits.
151 citations,
February 2007 in “International Journal of Dermatology” Alopecia areata causes hair loss, has no cure, and various treatments exist.
114 citations,
October 2006 in “Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology” The new clobetasol propionate foam is effective and safe for treating alopecia areata.
182 citations,
October 2003 in “British Journal of Dermatology” The 2003 guidelines suggest that while some treatments can regrow hair in alopecia areata, none alter the disease's progression, and wigs may be the best option for extensive hair loss.
148 citations,
December 2018 in “Journal of autoimmunity” Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease causing patchy hair loss, often with other autoimmune disorders, but its exact causes are unknown.
4 citations,
November 2018 in “JAAD case reports” Alopecia areata can sometimes appear as a straight line of hair loss instead of round patches.
May 2018 in “Journal of cosmetology & trichology” Combining platelet-rich plasma therapy with prostaglandin-F eye drops can significantly regrow hair in alopecia universalis.
