Oral Zinc Sulfate in the Treatment of Alopecia Areata: A Double-Blind, Cross-Over Study

The study investigated the effectiveness of oral zinc sulphate in treating patchy alopecia areata through a double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over trial involving 100 patients. Sixty-seven patients completed the study, with results showing that 59.45% of patients in the zinc sulphate group experienced complete hair regrowth after 3 months, and this increased slightly to 62.16% after switching to placebo. In the placebo group, only 10% showed complete regrowth initially, but this increased to 66.67% after switching to zinc sulphate. The study concluded that oral zinc sulphate was an effective treatment for alopecia areata with a low relapse rate, and only mild side effects were reported.