Twice Weekly 5 mg Dexamethasone Oral Pulse in the Treatment of Extensive Alopecia Areata
September 1999
in “
The Journal of Dermatology
”
TLDR Twice-weekly 5 mg dexamethasone can effectively treat extensive alopecia areata in many patients.
The study involved 30 patients (20 males, 10 females) with extensive alopecia areata, treated with 5 mg dexamethasone oral pulse twice weekly for a minimum of 12 weeks. Complete to excellent hair growth (75-95%) was observed in 16 patients (63.3%), good growth (50-74%) in 2 patients, and poor growth (<50%) in 3 patients (10%). Six patients (20%) showed no hair growth. Hair regrowth occurred after an average of 5.35 months, with some relapses successfully treated. Mild side effects were noted in 8 patients (26.6%), leading to discontinuation in one case. The treatment was proposed as a viable option for extensive alopecia areata.