Prognosis, Treatment, and Disease Outcomes in Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia: A Retrospective Review of 92 Cases

December 2017 in “ Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology ”

Lauren C. Strazzulla, Lorena Avila, Xiaoxue Li, Kristen Lo Sicco, Jerry Shapiro

frontal fibrosing alopecia intralesional corticosteroids topical agents systemic agents tacrolimus clobetasol betamethasone doxycycline tetracycline minocycline FFA corticosteroids topical treatments systemic treatments

TLDR Most patients with frontal fibrosing alopecia stabilized with treatment, especially younger ones, using intralesional corticosteroids and tacrolimus.

This retrospective review of 92 patients with frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA) found that 70.7% of patients stabilized with treatment after an average of 10.4 months. The study identified that a younger age of onset was associated with a less severe disease course. Most patients (71.7%) were treated with intralesional corticosteroids combined with topical and systemic agents. Tacrolimus was found to be more effective in achieving stabilization within 3 months compared to clobetasol/betamethasone. Adverse effects were more common in patients treated with doxycycline, tetracycline, or minocycline. Limitations included the retrospective design and small sample size.

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Research cited in this study

4 / 4 results

research Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia: A Multicenter Review of 355 Patients

339 citations , February 2014 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

Most patients with frontal fibrosing alopecia are postmenopausal women, and treatments like finasteride and dutasteride can improve or stabilize the condition.

research Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia: To Treat or Not to Treat?

29 citations , July 2010 in “Journal of Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery”

Treatments for Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia have not been proven effective.

research Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia: Clinical Presentations and Prognosis

155 citations , September 2008 in “British journal of dermatology/British journal of dermatology, Supplement”

FFA is more common in postmenopausal women, can affect younger women, and may stabilize over time.

research A Case-Series of 29 Patients with Lichen Planopilaris: The Cleveland Clinic Foundation Experience on Evaluation, Diagnosis, and Treatment

113 citations , May 2007 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology”

The study found that steroids and tetracycline helped treat active Lichen planopilaris, and hair transplants were good for later stages.

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community Fibrosing alopecia in a pattern distribution

in Research/Science 14 upvotes 1 year 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 DUPA/Retrograde might not be DHT based...GET A BIOPSY QUICK or permanent Hair Loss!

in Research/Science 43 upvotes 8 months ago

DUPA and retrograde alopecia may not be solely DHT-based, and a biopsy is crucial for accurate diagnosis and treatment. Treatments mentioned include dutasteride, oral minoxidil, pioglitazone, clobetasol, calcipotriol, ketoconazole, and doxycycline, depending on the specific condition.

community If You Have DUPA, PLEASE READ THIS: Everyone Should Be Scalp Biopsied

in Research 830 upvotes 1 year 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 almost 6 months of progress :)

in Progress Pictures 535 upvotes 10 months ago

The user shared their 6-month hair regrowth progress using finasteride, minoxidil, biotin, and iron supplements, along with occasional microneedling and specific shampoos. They reported minimal side effects and no retrograde alopecia, attributing their success to a combination of treatments.

community Where to Begin with Microneedling?

in Treatment 17 upvotes 2 years ago

User is considering microneedling to enhance hair regrowth after limited response to minoxidil and better results with finasteride and ketoconazole shampoo. Recommendations include using a 1.5mm derma roller once a week, avoiding minoxidil on microneedling days, and disinfecting the roller with isopropyl alcohol.

community M18 - 7 Months on topical fin + min Not working for me

in Finasteride/Dutasteride 92 upvotes 8 months ago

Topical finasteride and minoxidil are not effective for the user, who is considering switching to oral treatments like finasteride or dutasteride. Many suggest oral medications are more effective, and some recommend additional treatments like microneedling and other topical solutions.