In contrast to androgenetic alopecia, circular hair loss often occurs in childhood or adolescence. In a recent study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, antihistamines combined with topical glucocorticosteroids and superficial cryotherapy were shown to be an effective treatment option for alopecia arata.
In addition to hormonally induced alopecia androgenetica and diffuse hair loss (effluvium), alopecia areata is the third most common form of hair loss. In contrast to androgenetic alopecia, circular hair loss often occurs in childhood or adolescence. Alopecia areata can lead to a significant impairment of quality of life. In recent years, progress has been made in understanding the pathogenesis, but treatment options are not yet optimal.
The cause of circular hair loss seems to be an inflammation of the hair root, which can be traced back to a malfunction of the immune system. It is therefore an autoimmune disease that runs in families. Treatment is usually with anti-inflammatory agents or those that generally suppress the immune system. In the study published in JAMA a few months ago, data from 148 alopecia arata patients treated with superficial cryotherapy and topical corticosteroids were analyzed. 24 of the study participants were additionally treated with antihistamines (fexofenadine, ebastine) as add-on. The mean duration of therapy in this subgroup was 6.29 months. The entire subject population was comparable with respect to age, as well as duration and severity of alopecia arata. After a treatment period of 7 months, 100% of patients additionally treated with antihistamines showed a strong regrowth of hair* compared to 79.3% of patients in the treatment condition without antihistamines (p=0.045). The tolerability of the treatment with the addition of fexofenadine and ebastine was found to be not only effective but also well tolerated.
* “major hair regrowth”
Source: J Am Acad Dermatol 2020. doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2020.06.1026. Online ahead of print.
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