Cicatricial Alopecia: Diagnosis and Treatment Overview

    Jennifer Fu, Vera H. Price
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    TLDR Cicatricial alopecia causes permanent hair loss and is treated to relieve symptoms and stop progression.
    Cicatricial alopecia, or scarring alopecia, was a condition characterized by permanent hair loss due to inflammatory destruction of hair follicles, classified into lymphocytic and neutrophilic groups. Diagnosis required a scalp biopsy, and treatment focused on symptom relief and halting progression, as hair regrowth was generally not possible. First-line treatments included hydroxychloroquine and doxycycline, with second-line options like mycophenolate mofetil and cyclosporine if needed. Pioglitazone showed promise in resistant cases, and adjuvant therapies included intralesional triamcinolone acetonide and topical treatments. For neutrophilic types, antimicrobial agents were essential. The condition did not affect general health and was neither hereditary nor contagious.
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      If You Have DUPA, PLEASE READ THIS: Everyone Should Be Scalp Biopsied

      community If You Have DUPA, PLEASE READ THIS: Everyone Should Be Scalp Biopsied

      in Research  830 upvotes 7 months ago
      Scalp biopsies are crucial for diagnosing hair loss conditions like Diffuse Unpatterned Alopecia (DUPA) and retrograde hair loss, as treatments like finasteride and dutasteride may not be effective if other conditions are present. Combining PPAR-GAMMA agonists with retinoids could improve treatments for conditions like Lichen Planopilaris.

      community I am a dermatologist with a clinical interest in alopecia. AMA

      in Will treatment work for me? 2 years ago
      In this conversation, 4990 discussed various treatments for hair loss, including oral minoxidil, PRP, transplan, Jak inhibitors, Dutasteride, Finasteride, Olumiant, Ketoconazole, RU58841, microneedling, baricitinib, and CCCA. They recommended scalp biopsies in unclear cases of DUPA, twice weekly to twice daily shampooing for topical minoxidil users, and two sessions spaced one month apart with follow up at month three to determine the effectiveness of PRP treatment.

      community scarring alopecia awareness in this community

      in Chat  33 upvotes 2 years ago
      Lichen Planopilaris (LPP), a form of permanent hair loss, which can be mistaken for seborrheic dermatitis and is characterized by scalp itching, burning, redness, and dandruff. Treatment options discussed include steroidal creams, finasteride, minoxidil, and RU58841.

      community Losing Hair on Dutasteride? You might have LPP

      in Research/Science  98 upvotes 1 month ago
      Men with hair loss might have lichen planopilaris (LPP), which can mimic androgenetic alopecia, leading to misdiagnosis and ineffective treatment with finasteride or dutasteride. Proper diagnosis, including biopsies, is crucial to distinguish between androgenetic alopecia and conditions like LPP.

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