Alopecia Areata Treatments

There is no cure for alopecia areata, but many healthcare professionals recommend medications that are normally approved for other purposes to help accelerate hair growth. Although these treatments can help promote hair growth, none of them can cure the disease or prevent future hair loss.

 

Treatment for alopecia areata generally consists of oral medications, topical ointments, and photochemotherapy.

 

Corticosteroids, anti-inflammatory drugs that suppress the immune system, are a popular choice for treating alopecia areata. These can be administered as injections, oral pills, or topical ointments.

 

In photochemotherapy, a person is given a light-sensitive drug (called a psoralen) either orally or topically, and is then exposed to an ultraviolet light source. In clinical trials, approximately 55 percent of people achieve cosmetically acceptable hair growth by using this alopecia areata treatment.