Current Status of Treatments for Alopecia Areata

Alopecia areata, an immune-mediated disease targeting anagen hair follicles, had various treatment strategies based on patient age and scalp involvement extent and duration. Treatments included corticosteroids, minoxidil, immunotherapy, and biological agents, but none were curative or preventive, and many lacked randomized, controlled trials. The disease was considered autoimmune, with loss of immune privilege in hair follicles, suggesting that controlling it through initial immunosuppression followed by immune system reconstruction was an ideal strategy.