Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia

January 2024 in “ Updates in clinical dermatology ”

Aaron Chen, Peter J. Panagotacos

frontal fibrosing alopecia scarring hair loss lichen planopilaris HLA-D dermatology hair restoration

TLDR Frontal fibrosing alopecia is a scarring hair loss condition mainly affecting postmenopausal women, with unclear causes.

Frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA) is a type of scarring hair loss first described in 1997, primarily affecting postmenopausal Caucasian women, but also observed in premenopausal women and African Americans. The exact cause of FFA is unclear, and while it shares some histological similarities with lichen planopilaris, it is considered a separate condition due to differences in pathology and treatment response. Family groupings with shared HLA-D have been noted, though inconsistently. This overview highlights the increasing recognition of FFA in dermatology and hair restoration practices.

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Research cited in this study

9 / 9 results

research Sensitization to Ethylhexyl Salicylate: Another Piece of the Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia Puzzle

1 citations , November 2023 in “Contact dermatitis”

Some people with Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia may be allergic to a common sunscreen ingredient.

research Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia: A Review

23 citations , April 2021 in “Journal of Clinical Medicine”

Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia's cause is unclear, affects mainly postmenopausal women, and current treatments focus on stopping hair loss rather than regrowth.

research Oral Minoxidil Treatment for Hair Loss: A Review of Efficacy and Safety

59 citations , July 2020 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

Oral minoxidil promotes hair growth but may cause side effects; needs monitoring.

research Reply to: Updated Diagnostic Criteria for Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia

8 citations , December 2017 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

The authors updated the criteria for diagnosing frontal fibrosing alopecia, making it easier to diagnose without a biopsy.

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 Treatment of Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia and Lichen Planopilaris: A Systematic Review

117 citations , March 2013 in “Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology”

No effective treatment for frontal fibrosing alopecia was found, but oral 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors had the best response; for lichen planopilaris, topical corticosteroids were commonly used but had a high relapse rate.

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 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.

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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.

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research Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia and Lichen Planopilaris in HLA-Identical Mother and Daughter

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A mother and daughter with similar hair loss conditions and identical HLA types suggest a genetic link between the conditions.

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Lichen Planopilaris and Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia may help us understand hair follicle stem cell disorders and suggest new treatments.

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research Genome-Wide Association Study in Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia Identifies Four Susceptibility Loci Including HLA-B*07:02

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