What's new in hair loss?

Alopecia is a common and often refractory condition encountered in dermatology clinics nationwide. It often causes substantial emotional and psychosocial effects on patients with even minor degrees of hair loss. Treatment of alopecia is often characterised by a delay before noticing hair regrowth, long-term treatments, limited efficacy and possible adverse effects. Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) and alopecia areata (AA) are two common forms of hair loss, and most studies for new treatments are focused on these conditions. Frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA) has also become increasingly common over the last decade. Currently there is a paucity of treatments that offer durable responses or permanent remission. The aim of this article is to review some of the potential new treatments for AA and AGA and explore the possible causative factors in the pathogenesis of FFA.