Treatment Outcomes and Considerations for Topical Immunotherapy in Patients with Alopecia Totalis and Alopecia Universalis

July 2025 in “ Frontiers in Medicine ”

Taiyo Hitaka, Sanehito Haruyama, Shun Ohmori, Natsuko Saito‐Sasaki, Etsuko Okada, Motonobu Nakamura, Yu Sawada

topical immunotherapy alopecia totalis alopecia universalis alopecia areata

Topical immunotherapy is an effective treatment for severe alopecia areata, such as alopecia totalis and alopecia universalis, but response rates differ among patients. To optimize clinical outcomes, it is crucial to adopt individualized treatment approaches that consider patient-specific factors and may involve prolonged therapy.

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Research cited in this study

16 / 16 results

research Local Corticosteroids for Alopecia Areata: A Narrative Review

8 citations , May 2025 in “Dermatology and Therapy”

Local corticosteroids can help with alopecia areata, but hair loss often returns after stopping treatment.

research Inhibition of T-Cell Activity in Alopecia Areata: Recent Developments and New Directions

4 citations , November 2023 in “Frontiers in immunology”

New treatments targeting T-cell pathways are needed for better alopecia areata management.

research Treatments for Alopecia Areata: A Network Meta-Analysis

October 2023 in “The Cochrane library”

The medicine baricitinib was found to notably improve hair regrowth in alopecia areata, but more research is needed on its side effects and other treatments.

research Janus Kinase Inhibitors for Alopecia Areata

7 citations , August 2023 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology”

JAK inhibitors offer new hope for treating severe alopecia areata.

research Recent Advances in Understanding of the Etiopathogenesis, Diagnosis, and Management of Hair Loss Diseases

May 2023 in “Journal of Clinical Medicine”

New understanding and treatments for hair loss are improving, but more research is needed.

research Alopecia Areata: An Updated Review for 2023

91 citations , May 2023 in “Journal of Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery”

Alopecia Areata affects 2% globally, with treatments like essential oils, garlic, and JAK inhibitors showing promise, but more research is needed.

research Two Phase 3 Trials of Baricitinib for Alopecia Areata

148 citations , March 2022 in “The New England Journal of Medicine”

Baricitinib was effective in treating alopecia areata in two major trials.

research Alopecia Areata: An Update on Etiopathogenesis, Diagnosis, and Management

290 citations , August 2021 in “Clinical Reviews in Allergy & Immunology”

JAK inhibitors show promise for treating alopecia areata, but more research is needed.

research Application of Topical Immunotherapy in the Treatment of Alopecia Areata: A Review and Update

20 citations , March 2021 in “Drug design, development and therapy”

Topical immunotherapy can treat alopecia areata, but its effectiveness varies and the exact mechanism is unclear.

research Consensus on the Treatment of Alopecia Areata – Brazilian Society of Dermatology

23 citations , October 2020 in “Anais brasileiros de dermatologia/Anais Brasileiros de Dermatologia”

Tailored treatments for alopecia areata are recommended based on severity and patient needs.

Efficacy of Antihistamines in Combination with Topical Corticosteroid and Superficial Cryotherapy for Treatment of Alopecia Areata: A Retrospective Cohort Study

research Efficacy of Antihistamines in Combination with Topical Corticosteroid and Superficial Cryotherapy for Treatment of Alopecia Areata: A Retrospective Cohort Study

5 citations , July 2020 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology”

Adding antihistamines to topical corticosteroid and cryotherapy may improve hair regrowth in alopecia areata patients.

research Italian Guidelines in Diagnosis and Treatment of Alopecia Areata

37 citations , December 2019 in “Giornale italiano di dermatologia e venereologia”

The Italian guidelines offer advice for diagnosing and treating alopecia areata based on expert opinion and limited clinical trial evidence.

research Treatment of Alopecia Areata: An Australian Expert Consensus Statement

95 citations , November 2018 in “Australasian journal of dermatology”

Alopecia areata treatment varies, with no optimal method established yet.

research Hair Regrowth Outcomes of Contact Immunotherapy for Patients With Alopecia Areata

89 citations , August 2018 in “JAMA Dermatology”

Contact immunotherapy can improve hair regrowth in alopecia areata patients.

research A Systematic Review of Pulse Steroid Therapy for Alopecia Areata

50 citations , January 2016 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology”

Pulse steroid therapy for alopecia areata shows a 43% complete response rate but has a high relapse rate, especially in children.

research British Association of Dermatologists’ Guidelines for the Management of Alopecia Areata 2012

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.

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research Alopecia Areata: A Multifactorial Autoimmune Condition

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.

research Linear Alopecia Areata

4 citations , November 2018 in “JAAD case reports”

Alopecia areata can sometimes appear as a straight line of hair loss instead of round patches.

research Treating Resistant Cases of Alopecia Universalis

May 2018 in “Journal of cosmetology & trichology”

Combining platelet-rich plasma therapy with prostaglandin-F eye drops can significantly regrow hair in alopecia universalis.

research Topical Minoxidil for the Treatment of Alopecia Areata

1 citations , March 2017 in “PubMed”

Topical minoxidil did not significantly regrow hair in alopecia areata patients after 3 months.

research Overview of Alopecia Areata

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.