TLDR Cyclosporine showed some improvement in alopecia areata but results were not statistically significant.
A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial evaluated the efficacy of cyclosporine in 32 adults with moderate-to-severe alopecia areata over 3 months. The cyclosporine group showed a higher proportion of participants achieving at least a 50% reduction in Severity of Alopecia Tool score (31.3% vs 6.3%) and improvements in eyelash (18.8% vs 0%) and eyebrow (31.3% vs 0%) scales compared to placebo. However, these differences did not reach statistical significance. The study's small sample size and single-institution setting limited the generalizability of the results.
95 citations,
November 2018 in “Australasian journal of dermatology” Alopecia areata treatment varies, with no optimal method established yet.
41 citations,
September 2018 in “Australasian journal of dermatology” No systemic treatment for alopecia areata has strong evidence of effectiveness.
14 citations,
January 2016 in “Annals of dermatology/Annals of Dermatology” Oral cyclosporine is more effective and safer than betamethasone for treating alopecia areata.
41 citations,
November 2015 in “The journal of investigative dermatology. Symposium proceedings/The Journal of investigative dermatology symposium proceedings” Diphenylcyclopropenone (DPCP) can help regrow hair in many alopecia areata patients but may cause side effects and relapses.
33 citations,
October 2013 in “Cutaneous and ocular toxicology” Oral cyclosporine can help regrow hair in severe alopecia areata cases.
30 citations,
January 1999 in “Dermatology” Cyclosporine A can help some people with severe alopecia areata regrow hair.
104 citations,
March 1987 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” Minoxidil helps hair growth in 63.6% of alopecia patients, with 27.3% having excellent results.
October 2023 in “Acta dermato-venereologica (Print)” People with severe hair loss have lower zinc levels in their blood.
