The Therapeutic Effect and the Changed Serum Zinc Level after Zinc Supplementation in Alopecia Areata Patients Who Had a Low Serum Zinc Level

In 2009, a study involving 15 alopecia areata patients with low serum zinc levels administered oral zinc gluconate (50 mg/day) for 12 weeks. The serum zinc levels increased significantly from 56.9 µg/dl to 84.5 µg/dl after the supplementation. Nine patients (60%) showed positive therapeutic effects, with a more substantial increase in serum zinc levels in the positive response group compared to the negative response group (p=0.003). Despite these findings, the therapeutic effects were not statistically significant. The study suggests considering zinc supplementation for alopecia areata patients with low serum zinc, particularly when other treatments fail, proposing it could be an adjuvant therapy.