Cortisone injections for hair loss is a minimally invasive, non-surgical procedure, which is highly effective for patients with alopecia areata, a condition that causes hair thinning or hair loss. Cortisone injections are a great natural alternative treatment.
Steroid injections have been used for alopecia areata since 1958. Studies from the 1970's showed that hair regrowth was found in 71% of people with Alopecia Areata, when treated every 2 weeks for 3 times. In another study, 63% of those receiving monthly steroid injections found regrowth at 4 months.
In short, yes, some corticosteroids like prednisone can operate as a treatment for hair loss in some cases. Specific conditions like alopecia areata ( hair loss caused by autoimmune disease) can be managed with corticosteroids under the medical supervision of a healthcare professional.
INTRALESIONAL CORTICOSTEROID INJECTIONS
This method of treatment — the most common form of treatment for alopecia areata — uses corticosteroids that are injected into bare patches of skin with a tiny needle. These injections are repeated about every four to six weeks and are usually given by a dermatologist.
Cortisone injections often stimulate hair regrowth. In the cortisone-injection treatment, a cortisone compound is injected into the hair-loss area. The treatment is safe and almost always successful over time.
The procedure entails cortisone injections into the scalp approximately 1 cm apart. The number of injections depends on the size of the area being treated and can range from 2 -3 injections in smaller areas to 40 – 50 injections in larger areas.
Answer: Steroid injections
If alopecia areata is active in can sometimes worsen despite any treatment.
There is currently no cure for alopecia areata, although there are some forms of treatment that can be suggested by doctors to help hair re-grow more quickly. The most common form of alopecia areata treatment is the use of corticosteroids, powerful anti-inflammatory drugs that can suppress the immune system.
In June 2022 , a medication called baricitinib (Olumiant) received approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat severe cases of alopecia areata. It's the first FDA-approved systemic treatment for alopecia. This type of systemic treatment helps treat hair loss all over the body.
PRP costs about $500 to $2,500 per injection. Treatment usually consists of three or four injections 4 to 6 weeks apart, with maintenance injections every 4 to 6 months.
The medication is injected directly into the affected area to stimulate hair regrowth. It may take around six to eight weeks to notice new hair growth; injections are repeated every four to six weeks until regrowth is complete.
Patchy alopecia areata
This is considered the most effective treatment for people who have a few patches of hair loss. In one study of 127 patients with patchy hair loss, more than 80% who were treated with these injections had at least half of their hair regrow within 12 weeks.
Steroid injections may promote hair growth for those with alopecia areata. These injections may be covered by insurance as part of treatment for this autoimmune disease.
Topical and injected corticosteroids have side effects, including scalp irritation that may lead to a rash, thinning skin on the scalp, and a red or puffy face. Corticosteroid medication taken by mouth may make the body's immune system less capable of fighting a bacterial or viral infection.
Steroid injections can be repeated in 4-6 weeks. For localized patches of alopecia, regrowth is expected to start in 1 month in 80 % to 90 % of patients.
Causes of Alopecia Areata
In alopecia areata, the immune system mistakenly attacks hair follicles, causing inflammation. Researchers do not fully understand what causes the immune attack on hair follicles, but they believe that both genetic and environmental (non-genetic) factors play a role.
Vitamin D and zinc (and vitamin A) are critical to immune function and may provide an adjunct treatment option for AA. Insufficiency of these key micronutrients, whether primary or secondary to genetic polymorphisms, is linked to both the incidence and severity of AA.
“It's all to do with the menthol and eucalyptus which can be found in Vicks,” she says. “These ingredients won't cause hair that has been lost to traction alopecia or female pattern hair loss to regrow, but they may help existing hair to grow in length although we wouldn't recommend putting Vicks onto scalps.
If treatment is desired, intralesional corticosteroids, usually triamcinolone acetonide (TAC), are often used as a first-line therapy for limited disease in adults.
For limited scalp alopecia areata, intralesional corticosteroid therapy is considered as the drug of choice by many experts. The most widely used agent is triamcinolone acetonide.
Triamcinolone (Kenalog) is a steroid solution that has been used as a treatment for alopecia areata for over 50 years. It is administered via injection into the scalp and appears to have some efficacy for patients with mild to moderate alopecia areata.