TLDR A 300 mg monthly pulse of prednisolone effectively and safely treats widespread alopecia areata.
The study evaluated the effectiveness of pulsed administration of corticosteroids in treating widespread alopecia areata (AA), including alopecia totalis (AT) and universalis (AU). Thirty-two patients (24 men, 8 women) with a mean age of 29 years and a mean alopecia duration of 2.8 years were treated with 300 mg oral prednisolone pulses at 4-week intervals. Fourteen out of 24 patients (58.3%) treated with 300 mg pulses showed complete or cosmetically acceptable hair growth within an average of 2.4 months, becoming cosmetically acceptable at 4 months. Additionally, three out of seven patients treated with 1000 mg pulses showed cosmetically acceptable hair growth at 6-9 months. The study concluded that a 300 mg monthly oral pulse of prednisolone is an effective and safe outpatient treatment for widespread alopecia areata.
36 citations,
June 1990 in “Archives of Dermatology” Using minoxidil and anthralin together can improve hair regrowth in severe alopecia areata patients who didn't respond to individual treatments.
46 citations,
June 1990 in “Archives of dermatology” Combining 5% minoxidil and 0.5% anthralin can help regrow hair in some severe alopecia areata patients.
42 citations,
August 1987 in “Archives of Dermatology” Squaric acid dibutylester led to complete hair regrowth in 28.5% of patients with alopecia areata.
101 citations,
March 1987 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” Minoxidil solution helps hair regrowth in alopecia areata, with 5% being more effective.
28 citations,
October 1978 in “Archives of dermatology” Corticosteroids may effectively regrow hair in Alopecia Totalis with manageable side effects.
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.
6 citations,
March 2019 in “JAAD case reports” A new mix of anthralin and calcipotriene might help treat severe hair loss.
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.
May 2018 in “Journal of cosmetology & trichology” Combining platelet-rich plasma therapy with prostaglandin-F eye drops can significantly regrow hair in alopecia universalis.
110 citations,
December 2013 in “The journal of investigative dermatology. Symposium proceedings/The Journal of investigative dermatology symposium proceedings” Alopecia areata is a genetic and immune-related hair loss condition that is often associated with other autoimmune diseases and does not typically cause permanent damage to hair follicles.
