Recent Insight on the Management of Lupus Erythematosus Alopecia

The 2021 document "Recent Insight on the Management of Lupus Erythematosus Alopecia" discussed various treatment strategies for Lupus Erythematosus Alopecia, a form of hair loss associated with the autoimmune disease Lupus Erythematosus. The paper highlighted the importance of early diagnosis and treatment to prevent permanent hair loss. Topical therapies such as corticosteroids and calcineurin inhibitors, and systemic therapies like antimalarials, immunosuppressants, and biologics were found to be effective. For non-scarring alopecia in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), controlling SLE activity led to hair regrowth, while in Chronic Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus (CLE), the goal was to prevent progression of hair loss. First-line therapies for CLE included topical corticosteroids and oral antimalarials. Other treatments such as methotrexate, dapsone, mycophenolate mofetil, thalidomide, lenalidomide, and Janus Kinase inhibitors showed promise but were associated with severe side effects. The document concluded that more research was needed to develop more effective treatments.