TLDR Multiple courses of pulse corticosteroid therapy improve hair growth in alopecia areata patients with minimal side effects.
The study evaluated the efficacy of multiple courses of pulse corticosteroid therapy using methylprednisolone for alopecia areata (AA) of varying severities. Patients with less than 50% hair loss and an AA onset of less than or equal to 6 months required an average of 1.9 courses for vellus hair development. Those with more than 50% hair loss needed more courses. Patients with less than 50% hair loss showed a 100% response rate regardless of disease duration. Patients with more than 50% hair loss also showed improvement after multiple courses, with limited adverse reactions.
218 citations,
April 2012 in “British Journal of Dermatology” Guidelines suggest various treatments for alopecia areata, but leaving it untreated is also an option as 80% cases may recover on their own.
27 citations,
May 2011 in “Journal of dermatology” Methylprednisolone pulse therapy works best for recent and specific types of severe alopecia areata.
17 citations,
November 2009 in “Dermato-endocrinology” Medium-dose prednisolone pulse therapy is effective and safe for multifocal alopecia areata but not for more severe forms.
59 citations,
January 2002 in “Dermatology” A new type of sudden, complete female hair loss was found, with most patients fully recovering within 6 months without needing steroid treatment.
89 citations,
March 2018 in “The Journal of Dermatology” Trichoscopy helps diagnose and monitor alopecia areata by looking at a combination of specific hair and scalp features.
November 2016 in “대한피부과학회지” The document's conclusion cannot be summarized as it is not provided in a language I can understand.
