Hair Loss in Lichen Planopilaris and Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia: Not Always Irreversible
January 2020
in “Skin appendage disorders”
TLDR Hair loss from conditions like LPP and FFA can potentially be reversed with the right treatment.
In 2019, a study reported two cases of typically irreversible hair loss conditions, lichen planopilaris (LPP) and frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA), showing signs of reversal. A 27-year-old man with LPP experienced hair regrowth and elimination of itch six months after adding oral tofacitinib and dapsone to his treatment. A 45-year-old woman with FFA showed hair and eyebrow regrowth and reduction in glabella-hairline distance over six months after starting oral finasteride and hydroxychloroquine, triamcinolone injections, and topical minoxidil. The study concluded that LPP and FFA might be reversible with appropriate therapy, with LPP responding to tofacitinib and dapsone, and FFA responding to androgenic and immune modulators.
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