Treatments Your Provider May Prescribe
The doctor may prescribe topical or oral (systemic) medications as well as injections. Steroid injections may help speed up hair regrowth in children with mild-to-moderate conditions:
- A powerful (potent) topical steroid (Clobetasol propionate gel or solution) can be applied twice daily, with or without covering the area (occlusion) overnight.
- Anthralin cream 1%, a topical medicine, can activate (stimulate) the immune system to speed up healing. Apply this medication to the affected area and about 1 cm beyond the border for 10–20 minutes, and then wash it off with shampoo.
For more extensive disease, your doctor may expose the affected area to light or apply topical steroids plus minoxidil, each used twice daily. This treatment must be used carefully if minoxidil is used in young children because of the risk of extensive side effects.
Oral of injected (systemic) steroids, such as prednisone, may be effective, but they do not provide long-lasting improvement.
Other treatments, currently in clinical studies, may be recommended.
Self-Care Guidelines
