The Role of Hair Restoration Surgery in Primary Cicatricial Alopecia

The 2015 review "The Role of Hair Restoration Surgery in Primary Cicatricial Alopecia" discussed the potential of surgical treatments for primary scarring alopecias, which accounted for up to 7.3% of hair loss cases in specialty clinics. The authors noted that pharmacological treatments could only prevent further hair loss, not induce regrowth. Two main surgical techniques, surgical excision and hair transplant, were discussed, with the choice depending on various factors such as type of alopecia, location of hair loss, and patient's wound healing characteristics. The authors emphasized the importance of early pharmacological treatment, patient remission before hair transplant, and post-surgery monitoring. They also highlighted potential complications and the risk of disease reactivation post-surgery. The effectiveness of starting pharmacological treatment immediately after surgery was yet to be determined. The document did not provide the number of patients involved in the study.