title: Treating Alopecia Areata: Current Practices Versus New Directions.
abstract: Alopecia areata (AA) is non-scarring hair loss resulting from an autoimmune disorder. Severity varies from patchy hair loss that often spontaneously resolves to severe and chronic cases that can progress to total loss of scalp and body hair. Many treatments are available; however, the efficacy of these treatments has not been confirmed, especially in severe cases, and relapse rates are high. First-line treatment often includes corticosteroids such as intralesional or topical steroids for mild cases and systemic steroids or topical immunotherapy with diphenylcyclopropenone or squaric acid dibutylester in severe cases. Minoxidil and bimatoprost may also be recommended, usually in combination with another treatment. Ongoing research and new insights into mechanisms have led to proposals of innovative therapies. New directions include biologics targeting immune response as well as lasers and autologous platelet-rich plasma therapy. Preliminary data are encouraging, and it is hoped this research will translate into new options for the treatment of AA in the near future.
authors: Department of Medicine, University of Toronto School of Medicine, Toronto, ON, Canada. agupta@execulink.com.|Mediprobe Research Inc., 645 Windermere Road, London, ON, N5X 2P1, Canada. agupta@execulink.com.
authors: Aditya K
authors: AK
authors: Gupta
authors: Mediprobe Research Inc., 645 Windermere Road, London, ON, N5X 2P1, Canada.
authors: Jessie
authors: J
authors: Carviel
authors: The Department of Medicine, Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.|The Departments of Dermatology and Family Practice, University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas, TX, USA.|Dermatology Treatment and Research Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
authors: William
authors: W
authors: Abramovits
mesh_terms: D000506:Alopecia Areata / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D000818:Animals; D001688:Biological Products / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003879:Dermatologic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D053685:Laser Therapy / Q000379:methods; D053657:Platelet-Rich Plasma; D012008:Recurrence
chemical_list: D001688:Biological Products; D003879:Dermatologic Agents; D005938:Glucocorticoids