So far, there is no standard
therapy for treatment which could show a benefit for all forms of AA in major
scientific research for alopecia areata (AA). It is recommended on the basis of
past experience in dealing with the AA in particular the following general
approach: at low expression and for a short duration to treat with
cortisone-containing solutions and/or internally with zinc compounds. A local
stimulation therapy with Dithranol can be using when it became the acute phase.
Dithranol is a substance commonly used in the treatment of psoriasis. Often it
is sufficient to be seen and to support the body's healing process this.
Because at 60 to 80% of patients
with low pronounced alopecia areata within a few months a recovery of bald
areas can be expected, a therapy should be selected carefully considerations
for benefit risk. The intake of zinc and the application of cortisone
preparations are very few side effects with short-term application under
medical supervision. A cortisone treatment in pill form as a pulse - or long
term therapy although relatively often leads to hair growth, hair fall out but
mostly after discontinuation of the treatment. Although short-term improvements
can be achieved through tablets with suppressive properties on the immune
system (ciclosporin, methotrexate), but pronounced adverse effects of the drugs
are a usage in the way.
The most effective treatment is
currently the external immunotherapy with Diphenylcyclopropenon (DCP), which is
used in particular for greater expansion of the AA (from 20 to 30%) mainly in
hair clinics (University) Skin clinics and some skin doctor's Office. The treatment
with DCP is a separate informational text available.
A hair transplant at the AA makes
no sense, because the inflammation process even before the transplanted hair
would not stop and they would once again fall. Numerous rumors about effective
"home remedies" in the treatment of the AA are circulating. This
stems from the fact that the low adaptive alopecia areata by itself heals in
many cases (spontaneous cure). In these cases the currently applied "home
remedy" as falsely is then often seen effectively.
Minoxidil solution for the
treatment of influencing hair loss has shown good effects in treating the AA in
some smaller studies in part, overall, a final assessment of this therapy is
not possible however.
Phototherapy treatment with UV
rays is already used in various forms at the AA. A study on a small patient
population with UV light in February. Lately, there are mainly reports of a favorable
influence of 308 nm excimer laser (UVB wavelength range). A comprehensive
assessment of this treatment option is however not been possible due to the low
number of patients so that this is not generally recommended.
In the area of complementary
therapies, especially the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) offers an
interesting approach. TCM brings together mainly the areas of acupuncture and
Chinese herbal medicine. We have reports of good individual experiences here
for example by Prof. Emil Iliev from the University of Sofia in Bulgaria, as
well as Dr. Johannes greten from the German society for TCM (DGTCM). Also for
the TCM, there is however no scientific studies demonstrating efficacy at the
AA.
The type of hairstyle does not
affect the healing process. Perm, dyes and tints, or the frequency of
shampooing reinforces an alopecia areata. At low finding therefore a clever
haircut, might be useful, using hair clips, hair sprays, or volume-creating
hair treatments. From a medical perspective, nothing is to argue that because
of your own hair is not affected. How much a share of the cost of a health
insurance company is taken over, is to clarify in each case with the Fund. The
attending physician will issue the required medical certificate.
Preliminary scientific studies
are performed for the treatment of circular hair loss by means of gene therapy.
The causes of disease are today not fully known. It is also unclear whether and
to what extent inheritance factors play a role in the development of the
disease. To explore the question of inheritance and thus the chances of a gene
therapy treatment involved the dermatological clinic of the University under
the direction of Prof. Dr. Rolf Hoffmann, on a large Europe-wide study of the
genetics of alopecia areata.
