TLDR Methylprednisolone pulse therapy works best for recent and specific types of severe alopecia areata.
This study evaluated the prognostic factors for methylprednisolone pulse therapy in 70 patients with severe alopecia areata, characterized by rapid and extensive hair loss exceeding 50% of the scalp. The treatment involved high-dose bolus infusions of methylprednisolone over 3 consecutive days. Results showed that 70% of patients experienced terminal hair growth, and 41.4% had complete responses with acceptable cosmetic outcomes. Key prognostic factors for a successful outcome included the disease duration before treatment and the type of alopecia areata. Patients with a disease duration of 3 months or less, and those with the plurifocal type of alopecia areata with a duration of 4-6 months, showed the best responses. Thus, methylprednisolone pulse therapy was indicated for patients fitting these criteria.
391 citations,
January 2010 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” Half of people with Alopecia Areata may see hair regrowth within a year without treatment, but recovery is unpredictable.
151 citations,
February 2007 in “International Journal of Dermatology” Alopecia areata causes hair loss, has no cure, and various treatments exist.
182 citations,
October 2003 in “British Journal of Dermatology” The 2003 guidelines suggest that while some treatments can regrow hair in alopecia areata, none alter the disease's progression, and wigs may be the best option for extensive hair loss.
80 citations,
November 1975 in “Acta dermato-venereologica” Large doses of glucocorticoids are not suitable for general use in treating severe alopecia areata due to inconsistent results and risks.
148 citations,
December 2018 in “Journal of autoimmunity” Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease causing patchy hair loss, often with other autoimmune disorders, but its exact causes are unknown.
4 citations,
November 2018 in “JAAD case reports” Alopecia areata can sometimes appear as a straight line of hair loss instead of round patches.
May 2018 in “Journal of cosmetology & trichology” Combining platelet-rich plasma therapy with prostaglandin-F eye drops can significantly regrow hair in alopecia universalis.
