Alopecia Areata

Alopecia Areata is a rare auto-immune disorder, where a patient's immune system misidentifies his or her own hair follicles and attacks them.

It has nothing in common with genetic hair loss, although it is possible to suffer from both conditions at the same time.  Alopecia Areata is a complicated condition, often first seen in children and but can also affect adults and can reoccur through out one's life. Fortunately, we have had great success treating this and related conditions. Dr. Lewenberg’s treatment needs to be tailored for each patient with this condition, so please contact us to tailor the treatment to your needs. Make sure to tell us what condition(s) you have and what medications/treatments you have used.

A majority of patients suffering from early stages of Alopecia Areata will respond well to Dr. Lewenberg's Formulas. Use of either formula (contact us for which formula will work best for you) allows patients to grow back hair and seems to help protect hair follicles from future damage. Results are best for people who have just started to lose their hair; whose hair loss is limited to their scalp and who have regrown hair in the past.

The regenerative and reparative effects of the Tretinoin in combination with Minoxidil, in Dr. Lewenberg’s Formulas, are unique. The Tretinoin repairs the damaged hair follicles and damaged tissue. The Minoxidil then allows you to regrow longer and thicker hair. Dr. Lewenberg's Formulas are effective all over the scalp, including the frontal hair line, because of the way they are absorbed. It is this ability to repair damaged hair follicles, by stimulating the attached stem cells, which allows Dr. Lewenberg's Formulas to reverse the effects of Alopecia Areata.

Because Dr. Lewenberg's Formulas are effective in repairing damaged but living hair follicles, patients who have not had success with other treatments often do well with ours. Even those patients with multiple or large bald patches can see results after a few months.

Dr. Lewenberg's Formulas are safer than most other treatments for Alopecia Areata and related conditions. They do not have the serious side effects associated with cortisone and similar steroids, irritants, and tars commonly used to treat Alopecia Areata. Moreover, it can be effective even in those patients for whom these steroids were ineffective.
Dr. Lewenberg's Formulas may also be applied onto one's eyebrows or beard, if desired.  Please contact us for the correct application of the formula to these areas, as irritation is likely unless applied properly.  You must be extremely careful not to get the formula in your eyes and if you accidentally do so, rinse out your eyes thoroughly and immediately with plain water or saline.

Please contact us to tailor the treatment to your needs. The amount of formula, which you would use, varies according to the extent of your hair loss.  Make sure to tell us what condition(s) you have and what medications/treatments you have or are currently using.

Alopecia Totalis and Alopecia Universalis

Alopecia Totalis is the same condition as Alopecia Areata, only the hair loss is complete on the scalp and it may affect the eyebrows. Alopecia Universalis is Alopecia Areata that affects the whole body.

Dr. Lewenberg's Formulas work the same way for these more extensive conditions as they do for Alopecia Areata. Dr. Lewenberg's Formulas can be sprayed all over the scalp and small amount of the formula can also be carefully applied to the eyebrows with a Q-tip® to treat hair loss there. Please do not spray your face, but take the extra time to apply the formula with a Q-tip as to prevent accidentally spraying the formula in your eyes. It is best to contact us for instructions before applying the formula to your eyebrows and/or bread, as this is a sensitive area.

The best results are in those patients, where the hair loss is localized to the scalp and eyebrows. If you intend to use Dr. Lewenberg's Formula for hair loss in other areas, or if you are using another medication, please contact us before commencing treatment.

For all forms of Alopecia Areata, maintenance is normally not necessary. Should the hair loss recur, renewed treatment is required.