Could hair restoration be done in alopecia areata?

Alopecia areata is a common cause of non-scarring (does not cause scarring to the scalp) hair loss that can occur at any age. Alopecia areata that is autoimmune disease can affect any hair-bearing area and can manifest in many different patterns.

It usually causes small, coin-sized, round patches of baldness on the scalp, although hair elsewhere such as the beard, eyebrows, eyelashes, body and limbs can be affected.

At any given time, approximately 0.2% of the world population is suffering from alopecia areata.

Of patients suffering from alopecia areata, 5% develop hair loss of their entire scalp hair (alopecia areata totalis) and 1% develop alopecia areata universalis (loss of total body hair).

Alopecia areata is unpredictable, and therefore no treatment may be appropriate for a subgroup of patients as spontaneous healing range from 8% to 68%, depending on disease severity d Extent of hair loss and age of the patient are the most important factors to consider when determining management approaches.

These are treatment options for alopecias areata:

• Intralesional corticosteroids
• Topical corticosteroids
• Minoxidil foam or solution
• Oral corticosteroids
• Methotrexate
• Topical immunotherapy (squaric acid dibutylester (SADBE) and diphenylcyclopropenone (DPCP))
• Oral Janus kinase inhibitors, including tofacitinib, ruxolitinib, and baricitinib.

Hair transplantation is surgical technique that provide permanent solutions for alopecias. Modern hair restoration surgery is based on a technique known as follicular unit transplantation. FUE (Follicular unit excision) technique is accepted as the most frequently applied technique and the best results are obtained all over the world.

Correct patient selection and surgical experience are the most important factors affecting the success of the surgical procedure. Hair transplantation is not suitable for every patient with hair loss (alopecia). After a hair examination by a dermatologist, hair transplantation should be decided according to the type and condition of alopecia.

Could hair transplant be done in alopecia areata?

No. Due to autoimmune and recurrence nature of alopecia areata, hair transplantation is not an appropriate treatment option for alopecia areata. Studies have shown that hair loss occurs again due to disease activation after the surgical procedure in alopecia areata. For this reason, it is better to apply medical treatments instead of hair transplantation and to apply other camouflage methods in resistant alopecia areata cases..

In Civas hair transplant that is best hair transplant clinic in Turkey  most appropriate treatments are determined after the hair examination performed by dermatologists who are experts in hair diseases. After determination of right patients for hair transplant, our experienced surgical team performs surgeries in state of art.