What is alopecia treatment

As with other options, hair regrown with corticosteroid use may fall back out once treatment is stopped. Topical immunotherapy is used to treat extensive alopecia areata, alopecia totalis and alopecia universalis. This causes an allergic rash allergic contact dermatitis that looks like poison oak or ivy, which alters the immune response.

Patients who successfully regrow scalp hair usually must continue treatment in order to maintain the regrowth. Side effects — redness, itching and a rash at the site of application — are common. The National Alopecia Areata Foundation can help you find a specialist who offers this treatment in the U. Immunomodulatory drugs — specifically, Janus kinase JAK inhibitors — such as tofacitinib Xeljanz and ruxolitinib Jakafi , are a new type of therapy being tested for alopecia areata.

These medications were originally approved to treat certain blood disorders and rheumatoid arthritis. They are not approved by the FDA for alopecia areata yet, and are only available right now in the form of an oral medication. A topical formulation is currently in clinical trials in the United States. This has been observed in the small number of patients studied so far. Patients with alopecia areata, alopecia totalis and alopecia universalis can be treated based on age and severity of the condition.

This algorithm outlines an approach that can be used from mild to severe forms of the disorder. There are now choices that the patient can decide on what is best for them based on efficacy, cost and side effect profile. Reprinted from Strazzulla et al. Treatments for Alopecia Areata Treatments for Alopecia Areata What you need to know about treatments for alopecia areata Although there are currently no treatments that work for everyone with alopecia areata, some treatments are effective for some people.

Learn more about your options and the challenges for treatment, whether you have just a few patches or more extensive hairloss Get the latest alopecia areata news and research, so you can stay at the forefront of advancements in treatment Shop online for products and accessories to address hair loss and protect your skin. Did you Know? Benefits If new hair growth occurs from corticosteroid injections it is usually visible within four weeks. Drawbacks Corticosteroid injections, like all treatments for alopecia areata, do not prevent new hair loss from developing.

For many people, alopecia areata is a traumatic disease that warrants treatment addressing the emotional aspect of hair loss, as well as the hair loss itself. Support groups and counseling are available for people to share their thoughts and feelings, and to discuss common psychological reactions to the condition.

Alopecia areata has been compared by some to vitiligo , an autoimmune skin disease where the body attacks melanin-producing cells, leading to white patches. Research suggests that these two conditions may share a similar pathogenesis, with similar types of immune cells and cytokines driving the diseases and common genetic risk factors.

As such, any new developments in the treatment or prevention of either disease may have consequences for the other. There have been a handful of documented cases where treatment for alopecia areata using diphencyprone DCP , a contact sensitizer, has led to the development of vitiligo. Preliminary research in animals has found that quercetin, a naturally occurring bioflavonoid found in fruits and vegetables, can protect against the development of alopecia areata and effectively treat existing hair loss.

Further research is needed, including human clinical trials, before quercetin can be considered a treatment for alopecia areata.

The condition occurs when white blood cells attack the cells in hair follicles, causing them to shrink and dramatically slow down hair production. While scientists are unsure why these changes occur, it seems that genetics are involved as alopecia areata is more likely to occur in a person who has a close family member with the disease.

One in five people with the disease has a family member who has also developed alopecia areata. Other research has found that many people with a family history of alopecia areata also have a personal or family history of other autoimmune disorders, such as atopy, a disorder characterized by a tendency to be hyperallergic, thyroiditis, and vitiligo.

Despite what many people think, there is very little scientific evidence to support the view that alopecia areata is caused by stress. Extreme cases of stress could potentially trigger the condition, but most recent research points toward a genetic cause. As conventional treatments for alopecia are extremely limited, studies that support natural treatments for alopecia are even thinner on the ground.

There are some people that recommend rubbing onion or garlic juice, cooled green tea , almond oil, rosemary oil, honey, or coconut milk into the scalp. While none of these are likely to cause harm, their effectiveness is also not supported by research. Some people turn to alternative treatment methods such as acupuncture and aromatherapy, although there is little, if any, evidence to support these treatments.

The most prominent symptom of alopecia areata is patchy hair loss. Coin-sized patches of hair begin to fall out, mainly from the scalp. Any site of hair growth may be affected, though, including the beard and eyelashes. The loss of hair can be sudden, developing in just a few days or over a period of a few weeks. There may be itching or burning in the area before hair loss. The hair follicles are not destroyed and so hair can re-grow if the inflammation of the follicles subsides.

People who experience just a few patches of hair loss often have a spontaneous, full recovery without any form of treatment. If you're trying to regrow hair that you've lost or would like to improve hair that you have, try some of these natural remedies.

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How we chose. Topical anthralin. Corticosteroid injections. Oral corticosteroids. Read this next.