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Permalink Reply by BaldGirlsDoLunch.org on February 6, 2010 at 2:16pm

Correct. There is no proof that having one disease raises the risk for the other. They are not causal..one does not cause the other and they don't correlate.

And importantly, none of the biologics currently in use for psoriasis that were put into clinical trials in the last decade for aa have shown to be hair growers for aa patients. As Dr. Hordinsky is quoted as saying in this article:

"If you were to start a clinical trial today in alopecia areata, based on the new information, you probably wouldn't pick some of the biologics that were picked a few years ago."

Which is what research is all about.....getting to dead ends and starting over. Like Albert Einstein said

"If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called research, would it?"

Here's where you can get the most recent Alopecia Areata Update for histopathology and treatment published this month:

In fact, if you can get a copy of this two part feature article from the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology you will be more up to date and you will understand far more than you can glean from a 90 minute q and A at a national alopecia conference.


Thea
www.baldgirlsdolunch.org

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Permalink Reply by BaldGirlsDoLunch.org on February 6, 2010 at 5:41pm

Interestingly, the photo in the top link above features a cosmetically unacceptable result ("after 50 treatments with PUVA") in a boy. Drs. Shapiro and McElwee et al in their Update Alopecia Areata feature in this month's JAAD, specifically take PUVA off the list of treatment options for AA patients.

With this newest information for the AA community, I'll be rewriting the medical info page at the BGDL website.

Thea
www.baldgirlsdolunch.org

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Permalink Reply by Galena on February 6, 2010 at 7:17pm

Interestingly enough, I've been recently diagnosed with the gluttate form of psoriasis. Better known as "rain drop" psoriasis, I began having sparse outbreaks last year--the AA began in 2007. This is my second skin condition. I also occasionally treat very mild eczema on my face (pre-dates AA). So this connection sounds logical to me although research has not proven a strong relationship. Along with the tree nut, pollen and dust allergy, it's all about my body's immunity reaction. I feel a perfect biological storm was a play when the hair loss began. The treatment highlighted in the article doesn't seem very promising. 50 treatments did not produce significant hair restoration in the pictures.

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Permalink Reply by Karen on February 12, 2010 at 10:51pm

I have Guttate Psoriasis also. For 8 years I had it over 60% of my body. It went into remission for 2 years after months of cortisone injections into each lesion. I still have it in a few areas. After a while I guess I became resistant to the cortisone injections. My Alopecia started less than a year ago. I've responded great, up until this week, with the cortisone injections for the Alopecia. I thought I would be shedding my wig soon. But I'm heading back to see if another round of injections will keep a couple small, but new bald spots at bay. I haven't seen any correlation with my psoriasis and my alopecia but so far it's the same treatment and same creams.

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