While there is no cure, there are alopecia areata treatments that may help both adults and children with hair regrowth. The kind of treatment your doctor recommends depends on: The presentation (type or form) of your hair loss The severity of hair loss (how much hair you have lost) Your age What you have tried already If you also have an atopic condition, such as atopic dermatitis (eczema) There are two treatment goals with alopecia areata: Block the immune system attack Stimulate hair regrowth. Because not all treatments work for everyone, it can take some trial and error to find the right treatment for you. That being said, people with milder alopecia areata (less than 50% scalp hair loss) often have better treatment success. But there is hope for people with more severe disease. There are three new treatments for severe alopecia areata approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in June 2022, June 2023, and July 2024 (discussed in Available Alopecia Areata Treatments). In addition, there are other treatments in clinical trials and researchers are studying other new treatment options. Because there are few FDA-approved treatments for alopecia areata, most treatments that dermatologists recommend are FDA-approved for other diseases but not alopecia areata. However, they also can be effective in treating alopecia areata, so dermatologists prescribe them off-label. It’s important to remember that these treatments are not cures. If your hair regrows, it will probably fall out again once you stop treatment. Alopecia areata is a chronic disease, one that needs treatment for more than a year and impacts your quality of life. The same thing happens with other chronic diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, hypertension (high blood pressure), and diabetes. If you stop taking the medications for these diseases, the symptoms return, or the disease worsens. Learn about Available Treatments
