Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia and Vitiligo: Coexistence or True Association

January 2016 in “ Skin Appendage Disorders ”

Alexander Katoulis, Konstantina Diamanti, Dimitrios Sgouros, Aikaterini Ι. Liakou, Antigoni Alevizou, Evangelia Bozi, Vasileia Damaskou, Ioannis Panayiotides, Dimitrios Rigopoulos

frontal fibrosing alopecia vitiligo immunologic events pathological processes

TLDR Frontal fibrosing alopecia and vitiligo might be linked, not just coincidental.

The study investigated the coexistence of frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA) and vitiligo, conditions that are rarely reported together. In a retrospective analysis of 20 FFA cases over 14 months, 2 individuals, a 72-year-old woman and a 48-year-old man, exhibited FFA on preexisting vitiligo of the forehead. This anatomical colocalization suggested a potential causal link rather than a coincidental occurrence. The study proposed that interrelated immunologic events and pathological processes might underlie both conditions, indicating a possible association between FFA and vitiligo.

View this study on karger.com →

Discuss this study in the Community →

Research cited in this study

17 / 17 results

research Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia: A Retrospective Clinical Review of 62 Patients with Treatment Outcome and Long-Term Follow-Up

102 citations , April 2014 in “International Journal of Dermatology”

The treatment helped reduce symptoms and stabilize the hairline in most patients with Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia, but hair regrowth was limited.

research Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia: A Multicenter Review of 355 Patients

339 citations , February 2014 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

Most patients with frontal fibrosing alopecia are postmenopausal women, and treatments like finasteride and dutasteride can improve or stabilize the condition.

research Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia in an African Man

13 citations , August 2013 in “International Journal of Dermatology”

Frontal fibrosing alopecia can affect African men and may be underdiagnosed.

research Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia: A Retrospective Review of 19 Patients Seen at Duke University

98 citations , January 2013 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

Dutasteride may help stabilize Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia, but more research is needed.

research Male Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia with Generalized Hair Loss

18 citations , November 2012 in “Australasian Journal of Dermatology”

A 66-year-old man with a rare case of male frontal fibrosing alopecia did not regrow hair despite treatment.

research Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia: A Clinical Review of 36 Patients

159 citations , August 2010 in “British journal of dermatology/British journal of dermatology, Supplement”

Hydroxychloroquine effectively reduces symptoms of frontal fibrosing alopecia, especially in the first 6 months.

research Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia in a Man: Results of Follicular Unit Test Grafting

53 citations , May 2010 in “Dermatologic Surgery”

Hair transplantation may not work for Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia as transplanted hair was lost when the disease came back.

research Treatment of Postmenopausal Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia with Oral Dutasteride

64 citations , June 2009 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

Oral dutasteride can potentially treat frontal fibrosing alopecia in postmenopausal women, with some patients showing disease arrest and hair regrowth.

research Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia: Clinical Presentations and Prognosis

155 citations , September 2008 in “British journal of dermatology/British journal of dermatology, Supplement”

FFA is more common in postmenopausal women, can affect younger women, and may stabilize over time.

research Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia: Diagnostic and Therapeutic Assessment

54 citations , November 2007 in “Actas Dermo-Sifiliográficas”

Early diagnosis of frontal fibrosing alopecia is crucial to prevent permanent hair loss.

research Diagnostic and Therapeutic Assessment of Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia

16 citations , January 2007 in “Actas dermo-sifiliográficas/Actas dermo-sifiliográficas”

The document concludes that there are no reliable treatments for frontal fibrosing alopecia, with only temporary benefits from current options.

research Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia Versus Lichen Planopilaris: A Clinicopathological Study

126 citations , April 2006 in “International Journal of Dermatology”

The conclusion is that FFA and LPP have similar scalp biopsy features, making them hard to distinguish histologically, and FFA may be a specific kind of scarring hair loss.

research Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia Developing After Hair Transplantation for Androgenetic Alopecia

64 citations , January 2005 in “International Journal of Dermatology”

Hair transplant destroyed by lichen planopilaris.

research Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia in Postmenopausal Women

179 citations , December 2004 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

Some postmenopausal women with frontal fibrosing alopecia stopped losing hair with finasteride treatment, hinting at a possible hormonal cause.

research Postmenopausal Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia: A Frontal Variant of Lichen Planopilaris

329 citations , January 1997 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology”

Frontal fibrosing alopecia is a hair loss condition in postmenopausal women, similar to lichen planopilaris, with ineffective treatments.

research Postmenopausal Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia: Scarring Alopecia in a Pattern Distribution

332 citations , June 1994 in “Archives of Dermatology”

Postmenopausal frontal fibrosing alopecia may be a unique condition linked to postmenopausal changes.

research Postmenopausal Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia

325 citations , June 1994 in “Archives of Dermatology”

Postmenopausal frontal fibrosing alopecia may be a unique condition linked to postmenopausal changes.

Related Community Posts Join

6 / 603 results

community Fibrosing alopecia in a pattern distribution

in Research/Science 14 upvotes 1 year ago

A user has been experiencing hair loss for 4 years, with treatments like minoxidil, finasteride, and various supplements proving ineffective. They were diagnosed with fibrosing alopecia in a pattern distribution, a condition that may require a combination of anti-inflammatory and hair growth treatments.

community DUPA/Retrograde might not be DHT based...GET A BIOPSY QUICK or permanent Hair Loss!

in Research/Science 43 upvotes 10 months ago

DUPA and retrograde alopecia may not be solely DHT-based, and a biopsy is crucial for accurate diagnosis and treatment. Treatments mentioned include dutasteride, oral minoxidil, pioglitazone, clobetasol, calcipotriol, ketoconazole, and doxycycline, depending on the specific condition.

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

in Research 830 upvotes 1 year 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 almost 6 months of progress :)

in Progress Pictures 536 upvotes 11 months ago

The user shared their 6-month hair regrowth progress using finasteride, minoxidil, biotin, and iron supplements, along with occasional microneedling and specific shampoos. They reported minimal side effects and no retrograde alopecia, attributing their success to a combination of treatments.

community Where to Begin with Microneedling?

in Treatment 17 upvotes 2 years ago

User is considering microneedling to enhance hair regrowth after limited response to minoxidil and better results with finasteride and ketoconazole shampoo. Recommendations include using a 1.5mm derma roller once a week, avoiding minoxidil on microneedling days, and disinfecting the roller with isopropyl alcohol.

community M18 - 7 Months on topical fin + min Not working for me

in Finasteride/Dutasteride 92 upvotes 9 months ago

Topical finasteride and minoxidil are not effective for the user, who is considering switching to oral treatments like finasteride or dutasteride. Many suggest oral medications are more effective, and some recommend additional treatments like microneedling and other topical solutions.

Related Research

4 / 4 results

research Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Presenting as Alopecia Areata

3 citations , June 2020 in “Cureus”

A woman's hair loss led to discovering she had lupus.

research Diphencyprone Induced Vitiligo: A Case Report

10 citations , January 2012 in “Case reports in medicine”

Diphencyprone can cause unexpected and possibly permanent vitiligo.

research Alopecia Areata: Clinical Presentation, Diagnosis, and Unusual Cases

109 citations , May 2011 in “Dermatologic Therapy”

Alopecia areata is a type of hair loss that can lead to complete baldness, often associated with other autoimmune conditions, and half of the cases may see hair return within a year.

research Alopecia Areata

1 citations , April 1990 in “PubMed”

Alopecia areata causes unpredictable hair loss and is hard to treat.