Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia in Postmenopausal Women

April 2012 in “ Informa Healthcare eBooks ”

Maria Cristina Fiorucci, Emanuele Cozzani, Aurora Parodi, Alfredo Rebora

frontal fibrosing alopecia marginal alopecia lichen planopilaris perifollicular fibrosis lymphocytic inflammation scalp biopsy lichen planus pilaris

TLDR Frontal fibrosing alopecia is a type of hair loss that usually happens after menopause.

Two postmenopausal women with frontal fibrosing alopecia (one biopsy-proven) exhibited progressive marginal alopecia without the multifocal involvement or mucosal/cutaneous lesions typical of lichen planopilaris. Scalp biopsies revealed perifollicular fibrosis and lymphocytic inflammation, histologically similar to lichen planopilaris. Thus, frontal fibrosing alopecia was considered a variant of lichen planus pilaris, specifically localized and typically occurring postmenopause.

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Research cited in this study

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research Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia: A Clinical Review of 36 Patients

159 citations , August 2010 in “British journal of dermatology/British journal of dermatology, Supplement”

Hydroxychloroquine effectively reduces symptoms of frontal fibrosing alopecia, especially in the first 6 months.

research Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia: To Treat or Not to Treat?

29 citations , July 2010 in “Journal of Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery”

Treatments for Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia have not been proven effective.

research Efficacy and Safety of Mycophenolate Mofetil for Lichen Planopilaris

66 citations , January 2010 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

Mycophenolate mofetil was effective for most patients in treating scarring hair loss, but some had side effects.

research Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia: Clinical Presentations and Prognosis

155 citations , September 2008 in “British journal of dermatology/British journal of dermatology, Supplement”

FFA is more common in postmenopausal women, can affect younger women, and may stabilize over time.

research Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia Versus Lichen Planopilaris: A Clinicopathological Study

126 citations , April 2006 in “International Journal of Dermatology”

The conclusion is that FFA and LPP have similar scalp biopsy features, making them hard to distinguish histologically, and FFA may be a specific kind of scarring hair loss.

research Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia: A Survey in 16 Patients

123 citations , August 2005 in “Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology”

The study found that Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia affects a broader age range of women and early treatment can help stop hair loss.

research Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia in Postmenopausal Women

179 citations , December 2004 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

Some postmenopausal women with frontal fibrosing alopecia stopped losing hair with finasteride treatment, hinting at a possible hormonal cause.

research Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia Associated with Cutaneous Lichen Planus in a Premenopausal Woman

89 citations , February 2002 in “Australasian journal of dermatology”

A premenopausal woman had hair loss and skin issues, treated with topical steroids.

research Postmenopausal Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia: A Frontal Variant of Lichen Planopilaris

329 citations , January 1997 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology”

Frontal fibrosing alopecia is a hair loss condition in postmenopausal women, similar to lichen planopilaris, with ineffective treatments.

research Postmenopausal Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia

325 citations , June 1994 in “Archives of Dermatology”

Postmenopausal frontal fibrosing alopecia may be a unique condition linked to postmenopausal changes.

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in Research/Science 14 upvotes 1 year ago

A user has been experiencing hair loss for 4 years, with treatments like minoxidil, finasteride, and various supplements proving ineffective. They were diagnosed with fibrosing alopecia in a pattern distribution, a condition that may require a combination of anti-inflammatory and hair growth treatments.

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DUPA and retrograde alopecia may not be solely DHT-based, and a biopsy is crucial for accurate diagnosis and treatment. Treatments mentioned include dutasteride, oral minoxidil, pioglitazone, clobetasol, calcipotriol, ketoconazole, and doxycycline, depending on the specific condition.

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in Research 830 upvotes 1 year ago

Scalp biopsies are crucial for diagnosing hair loss conditions like Diffuse Unpatterned Alopecia (DUPA) and retrograde hair loss, as treatments like finasteride and dutasteride may not be effective if other conditions are present. Combining PPAR-GAMMA agonists with retinoids could improve treatments for conditions like Lichen Planopilaris.

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in Treatment 2 upvotes 7 hours ago

A 25-year-old experiencing hair thinning all over the body and head, despite using minoxidil and having low vitamin D levels, is advised to seek a second opinion from a dermatologist specializing in hair loss. The likely diagnosis is diffuse alopecia areata, which may require treatment with a JAK inhibitor.

community almost 6 months of progress :)

in Progress Pictures 537 upvotes 1 year ago

The user shared their 6-month hair regrowth progress using finasteride, minoxidil, biotin, and iron supplements, along with occasional microneedling and specific shampoos. They reported minimal side effects and no retrograde alopecia, attributing their success to a combination of treatments.

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