Successful Treatment of Alopecia Areata Barbae with Platelet-rich Plasma

Abstract

Alopecia areata (AA) is a frequent autoimmune disorder in which inflammatory cells attack the hair follicles. AA affecting the beard area is well known and is referred to as alopecia areata barbae (AAB) when involvement is limited exclusively to the beard. Currently, no guidelines are established for specific therapeutic approaches for this condition. We present a case of a healthy 30-year-old male suffering from AAB. Three injections of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) with six-week intervals were applied. Stabilization of the condition was noted at the first follow-up (before the second injection), initial minimal hair regrowth was noted at the second follow-up (before the third injection) and robust regrowth at the one-year follow-up. To our knowledge, this case is the first report of a successful treatment of AAB using PRP. PRP represents a new, safe and potentially effective treatment option for AAB. More studies will be necessary to determine the efficacy of this treatment compared to conventional therapy.

Incipient Diabetes Mellitus and Nascent Thyroid Disease Presenting as Beard Alopecia Areata: Case Report and Treatment Review of Alopecia Areata of the Beard

“…Other associated conditions with alopecia areata include atopic dermatitis, celiac disease, pernicious anemia, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and vitiligo [3,4]. Multiple therapies have been identified as effective treatments for beard alopecia areata ( Table 1) [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14]. Treatment with corticosteroids (either intralesional or topical) is usually the first line of therapy.…”

“…Multiple therapies have been identified as effective treatments for beard alopecia areata (Table 1 ) [ 3 - 14 ]. Treatment with corticosteroids (either intralesional or topical) is usually the first line of therapy.…”

“…Immunosuppressants [5,7], CR Corticosteroids (intralesional injections, topical) [5,7], CR Immunotherapy [6] Anthralin and diphenylcyclopropenone [6] Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors [3,8,9] Ruxolitinib [8] Tofacitinib [3,9] Laser [10][11][12] 308-nm excimer laser [10] 908-nm diode laser [11] 1,550-nm fractional laser [12] Minoxidil [7] Photodynamic therapy [13] Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) [14] Prostaglandin F2-alpha analogues [7] Latanoprost [7] Treatment of concurrent Helicobacter pylori infection [4] Our patient decided to treat his beard alopecia areata with topical 0.1% triamcinolone acetonide cream. This led to a complete regrowth of his beard hair within six months.…”

“…It is currently utilized in the management of androgenic alopecia. The plasma is obtained from the top layer of the patient's centrifuged blood sample and placed into areas of hair loss [14].…”

“…Complete hair regrowth was observed at the one-year follow-up. Adverse effects included pain at the injection sites, but the discomfort faded within two days [14].…”