The objective assessment of treatment efficacy is very difficult and spontaneous remission is unpredictable, but if the affected area is patched, the hair may regrow spontaneously in many cases. None of the existing therapeutic options are curative or preventive. In cases of severe hair loss, limited success has been achieved by using the corticosteroid medications clobetasol or fluocinonide, corticosteroid injections, or cream. Application of corticosteroid creams to the affected skin is less effective and takes longer to produce results. Steroid injections are commonly used in sites where the areas of hair loss on the head are small or especially where eyebrow hair has been lost. Whether they are effective is uncertain. Some other medications that have been used are minoxidil, Elocon (mometasone) ointment (steroid cream), irritants (anthralin or topical coal tar), and topical immunotherapy ciclosporin, sometimes in different combinations. Topical corticosteroids frequently fail to enter the skin deeply enough to affect the hair bulbs, which are the treatment target, and small lesions typically also regrow spontaneously. Oral corticosteroids may decrease the hair loss, but only for the period during which they<unk> ken, and these medications can cause serious side effects. No one treatment is effective in all cases, and some individuals may show no response to any treatment. Few treatments have been well evaluated. A 2008 meta-analysis of oral and topical corticosteroids, topical ciclosporin, photodynamic therapy, and topical minoxidil showed no benefit of hair growth compared with placebo, especially with regard to long-term benefits. For more severe cases, recent studies have shown promising results with the individual use of the immunosuppressant Methotrexate or adjunct use with corticosteroids. However, as relapse of the condition may occur long-term treatment is recommended. When<unk>  is associated with celiac disease, treatment with a gluten-free diet allows for complete and permanent regrowth of scalp and other body hair in many people, but in others, remissions and recurrences are seen. This improvement is probably due to the normalization of the immune response as a result of gluten withdrawal from the diet.
Alopecia areata
Hair loss
Alopecia mucinosa
Trichotillomania
Alopecia universalis
Alopecia totalis
Loose anagen syndrome
Alopecia neoplastica