Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia: To Treat or Not to Treat?

In the 2010 study involving 18 postmenopausal women diagnosed with Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia (FFA), researchers found that no significant improvement was observed in patients after various treatments, including finasteride with minoxidil, systemic corticosteroids, and topical clobetasol. Thirteen of the 18 patients had stable disease, and the study concluded that no treatment has been proven effective for FFA with an appropriate level of evidence. The document also reviewed other treatments and their limited success, noting that often FFA may be stable at diagnosis, which suggests that treatment might not be necessary. However, the natural history of FFA may include spontaneous stabilization, which complicates the assessment of treatment efficacy. The study highlighted the need for future research to define stable disease more clearly and establish appropriate exclusion criteria for clinical studies.