Postmenopausal Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia: A Frontal Variant of Lichen Planopilaris

    Steven Kossard, May‐Sen Lee, Brendan L. Wilkinson
    Image of study
    TLDR Frontal fibrosing alopecia is a hair loss condition in postmenopausal women, similar to lichen planopilaris, with ineffective treatments.
    The study examined the clinical and histopathologic features of frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA), a condition affecting postmenopausal women characterized by progressive hair loss at the frontal hairline, which is a variant of lichen planopilaris. The study included 16 women with FFA, 13 of whom also experienced significant eyebrow loss. No other sites of lichen planus were found, except in one patient who developed multifocal lichen planopilaris. The condition was slowly progressive, with stabilization observed in five patients. Histologic examination of scalp biopsies from the frontal hairline showed changes identical to those seen in lichen planopilaris, and immunophenotyping showed no significant differences between FFA and the multifocal variant. Treatments, including oral steroids, antimalarials, and hormone replacement therapy, were largely ineffective, though some may temporarily slow progression. The underlying cause of the condition remains unknown.
    Discuss this study in the Community →

    Research cited in this study

    5 / 5 results

    Related Community Posts Join

    6 / 377 results
      Diffuse hair loss and scalp biopsies

      community Diffuse hair loss and scalp biopsies

      in Research  692 upvotes 3 months ago
      Scalp biopsies are crucial for diagnosing hair loss conditions like Diffuse Unpatterned Alopecia (DUPA) and retrograde hair loss, as treatments like finasteride and dutasteride may not be effective if other conditions are present. Combining PPAR-GAMMA agonists with retinoids could improve treatments for conditions like Lichen Planopilaris.

      community Fibrosing alopecia in a pattern distribution

      in Research/Science  14 upvotes 8 months ago
      A user has been experiencing hair loss for 4 years, with treatments like minoxidil, finasteride, and various supplements proving ineffective. They were diagnosed with fibrosing alopecia in a pattern distribution, a condition that may require a combination of anti-inflammatory and hair growth treatments.

      community 9 months on Fin - no progress , should I get on Dutasteride?

      in Chat  10 upvotes 2 weeks ago
      The user has been using finasteride, minoxidil, and nizoral for hair loss but hasn't seen regrowth, only maintenance. They are considering switching to dutasteride, which is believed to be more effective, but are concerned about potential side effects.

      community Testosterone and hair loss seeming irrelevance

      in Research/Science  81 upvotes 1 year ago
      The conversation is about the role of testosterone in hair loss and the effectiveness of different treatments. The conclusion is that DHT is the main culprit for hair loss, and finasteride has been proven to work long-term in maintaining and regrowing hair. Testosterone may have a minor effect, but it is not the primary cause of hair loss.

      community I tried salt water to stop the DHT itch

      in Treatment  60 upvotes 1 year ago
      Treating the itch associated with male pattern baldness, which is believed to be caused by DHT. Potential treatments discussed include salt water, finasteride, ketoconazole, and RU58841.

      community scarring alopecia awareness in this community

      in Chat  33 upvotes 2 years ago
      Lichen Planopilaris (LPP), a form of permanent hair loss, which can be mistaken for seborrheic dermatitis and is characterized by scalp itching, burning, redness, and dandruff. Treatment options discussed include steroidal creams, finasteride, minoxidil, and RU58841.

    Related Research

    6 / 6 results