Alopecia Areata

Alopecia areata (AA) is an inflammatory cause of unpredictable, patchy hair loss that affects up to 2% of the population. Current treatment options for AA involve local steroid injections at the site of alopecia combined with topical retinoids; however, these are of limited efficacy and are associated with significant adverse effects. Recent insights into the pathogenesis of AA have allowed the development of novel treatment options, in particular, Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors and cytokine-targeted therapy. There have also been reports of hair regrowth following treatment with platelet-rich plasma, stem cell-based therapy approaches and faecal microbiota transplantation.