Various therapeutic agents have been described for the treatment of alopecia areata (AA), but none are curative or preventive. The aim of AA treatment is to suppress the activity of the disease. The high rate of spontaneous remission and the paucity of randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies make the evidence-based assessment of these therapies difficult. The second part of this two-part series on AA discusses treatment options in detail and suggests treatment plans according to specific disease presentation. It also reviews recently reported experimental treatment options and potential directions for future disease management.
Learning objectives
After completing this learning activity, participants should be able to compare the efficacy and safety of various treatment options, formulate a treatment plan tailored to individual patients, and recognize recently described treatments and potential therapeutic approaches.
aDepartment of Dermatology and Skin Science, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
bDepartment of Dermatology, New York University, New York, New York
Reprint requests: Jerry Shapiro, MD, University of British Columbia Skin Care Center, 835 W 10th Ave, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4E8, Canada.
Funding sources: None.
Conflicts of interest: Dr Shapiro is a consultant for Johnson and Johnson Inc. Drs Shapiro and McElwee are cofounders of TrichoScience Innovations Inc. The other authors, editors, and peer reviewers have no relevant financial relationships.
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