Efficacy of Oral Naltrexone in the Treatment of Scarring Alopecia

A retrospective chart review of 46 patients with scarring alopecia treated with low-dose oral naltrexone (1-5 mg daily) showed that 17.4% reported improvement in scalp symptoms, and 28.3% showed improvement in trichoscopic signs. The study population was predominantly female (87.0%) with a mean age of 55.7 years. Side effects were mild, with 21.7% experiencing issues such as insomnia, vivid dreams, and gastrointestinal upset. While low-dose naltrexone appears to reduce inflammation in some patients, the study's limitations, including concurrent treatments, highlight the need for controlled studies to better assess its efficacy.