Written and medically reviewed by David Nazarian, MD — Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Medical Director of PRP Treatment Beverly Hills.
Quick answer: There is no single “best cure” for alopecia because alopecia is a symptom category, not one diagnosis. The best treatment depends on the cause: androgenetic alopecia, alopecia areata, telogen effluvium, traction alopecia, infection, nutritional or thyroid-related hair loss, and scarring alopecias require different approaches. The most important step is identifying the cause before choosing treatment.
Alopecia means hair loss, but it is not one diagnosis. Hair can thin or fall out because of genetics, autoimmune disease, inflammation, physical traction, illness, medications, nutritional deficiencies, thyroid disease, hormonal factors, infection, or scarring disorders.
At our Beverly Hills office, treatment is diagnosis-driven. Depending on the pattern of hair loss and exam findings, options may include intralesional triamcinolone (Kenalog) injections for selected cases of alopecia areata, medical therapy such as minoxidil or finasteride when appropriate, and PRP treatment for hair loss or PRF for selected patients with pattern hair loss. Some forms of alopecia require dermatology referral, scalp biopsy, or systemic therapy rather than injections.
What Are the Main Types and Causes of Alopecia?
Androgenetic Alopecia (Male or Female Pattern Hair Loss)
Androgenetic alopecia is the most common chronic form of hair loss. In men it often causes recession at the temples or crown thinning. In women it more often causes widening of the part and diffuse thinning over the central scalp. Genetics and androgen signaling contribute to progressive miniaturization of hair follicles.
Treatment may include topical or oral minoxidil, finasteride for appropriate male patients, other diagnosis-specific medical therapies, and procedures such as PRP. PRP has supportive evidence for improving hair density in selected patients with androgenetic alopecia, but protocols vary and results are not guaranteed.
Alopecia Areata
Alopecia areata is an autoimmune condition in which the immune system attacks hair follicles. It commonly appears as smooth, round or oval patches of hair loss and can affect the scalp, beard, eyebrows, eyelashes, or other body hair.
For adults with a limited number of patches, intralesional corticosteroid injections such as triamcinolone acetonide (Kenalog) are a commonly used treatment. The medication is injected directly into affected areas to reduce local inflammation around the follicle. Treatment is not appropriate for every patient or every pattern of alopecia areata, and risks can include temporary skin thinning, pigment change, discomfort, and local indentation.
More extensive alopecia areata may require a different approach, including topical therapy, systemic therapy, or FDA-approved JAK-inhibitor treatment under specialist care. PRP is not considered a replacement for established autoimmune-directed therapy for alopecia areata.
Telogen Effluvium
Telogen effluvium causes excessive shedding rather than a typical bald patch. It may occur after major illness, surgery, high fever, rapid weight loss, childbirth, severe stress, nutritional deficiency, medication changes, or other physiologic stressors. Treatment focuses on identifying and correcting the trigger rather than simply injecting the scalp.
Traction Alopecia
Repeated tension from tight hairstyles, extensions, braids, or other mechanical pulling can damage follicles. Early traction alopecia may improve when tension is removed. Long-standing traction can become permanent if scarring develops.
Scarring Alopecia
Scarring or cicatricial alopecia includes inflammatory disorders that can permanently destroy hair follicles. Symptoms can include burning, itching, redness, scale, pustules, or smooth areas where follicular openings are absent. These conditions need prompt evaluation, often by dermatology, and sometimes scalp biopsy. The priority is controlling inflammation to prevent additional permanent loss.
Medical, Hormonal, Nutritional, and Medication-Related Hair Loss
Hair loss can also be associated with thyroid disease, iron deficiency, significant nutritional deficiency, endocrine disorders, major illness, selected medications, and other systemic conditions. Testing should be guided by the history and examination rather than using the same laboratory panel for every patient.
Fungal or Infectious Causes
Scalp infection, including tinea capitis, can cause hair loss and requires targeted antimicrobial treatment. PRP, PRF, and steroid injections are not appropriate substitutes for treating an active infection.
How We Diagnose Hair Loss
Alopecia treatment should begin with diagnosis. Evaluation may include the pattern and speed of hair loss, family history, medications, recent illness or weight change, scalp symptoms, hairstyle practices, hormonal history, nutrition, and associated medical conditions.
Depending on the presentation, the work-up may include scalp examination and dermoscopy, a hair-pull test, selected laboratory testing, fungal testing, or referral for scalp biopsy. Smooth patchy loss, diffuse shedding, follicular miniaturization, and scarring patterns require very different treatment strategies.
Alopecia Treatment Options
Kenalog Injections for Alopecia Areata
Kenalog is a brand name for triamcinolone acetonide, a corticosteroid. In adults with limited patchy alopecia areata, intralesional corticosteroid injections are a standard office-based option because they deliver anti-inflammatory medication directly into affected areas. Treatment intervals and concentration should be individualized by the treating clinician.
Kenalog is not a general treatment for every type of hair loss. It is not the primary treatment for androgenetic alopecia, telogen effluvium, traction alopecia, or nutritional hair loss.
PRP for Hair Loss
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) hair treatment uses a patient’s own blood to prepare a platelet-concentrated product that is injected into the scalp. PRP has been studied most extensively for androgenetic alopecia. Clinical trials and systematic reviews suggest it may improve hair density in selected patients, although the evidence remains heterogeneous and treatment protocols are not standardized.
PRP is most reasonable when viable miniaturized follicles remain. It is less likely to help long-standing smooth bald areas where follicles are no longer functional.
PRF for Hair Loss
Platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) hair treatment is another autologous blood-derived approach. PRF differs from PRP in the way the blood product is prepared and in the fibrin matrix it contains. PRF is used by some clinicians for hair restoration, but the clinical evidence base and protocols are less standardized than for established medical therapies and remain an evolving area.
Minoxidil
Minoxidil is an evidence-based treatment for androgenetic alopecia and can be used in both men and women depending on formulation and clinical circumstances. It generally requires continued use to maintain benefit. See our guide to how Rogaine/minoxidil works.
Finasteride (Propecia)
Finasteride lowers conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and is FDA-approved for male pattern hair loss. It can be effective in appropriate men but requires individualized discussion of contraindications and potential sexual, reproductive, and mood-related adverse effects. It is generally avoided in pregnancy. See our comparison of finasteride, minoxidil, and PRP.
Other Treatments
Depending on the diagnosis, treatment may also include topical corticosteroids, anti-inflammatory or immune-directed medications, JAK inhibitors for appropriate alopecia areata patients, treatment of nutritional or endocrine abnormalities, low-level light therapy, hair transplantation for selected stable pattern hair loss, or referral to a dermatologist with expertise in hair disorders.
Which Alopecia Treatment Is Best?
There is no single “best cure” for alopecia because alopecia has many causes. The best treatment is the one that matches the diagnosis.
| Type of hair loss | Common treatment directions |
|---|---|
| Androgenetic alopecia | Minoxidil, finasteride for appropriate men, PRP, selected PRF use, hair-transplant evaluation when appropriate |
| Limited alopecia areata | Intralesional corticosteroid/Kenalog injections, topical therapy, observation in selected cases |
| Extensive alopecia areata | Dermatology evaluation; immune-directed treatments including appropriate JAK inhibitors |
| Telogen effluvium | Identify and correct the trigger; evaluate nutritional, medical, medication, or physiologic causes |
| Traction alopecia | Remove traction; treat inflammation early if present |
| Scarring alopecia | Prompt dermatology evaluation and anti-inflammatory treatment; biopsy may be needed |
| Infectious alopecia | Treat the infection; avoid inappropriate steroid or regenerative injections |
When Should Hair Loss Be Evaluated Promptly?
Seek medical evaluation when hair loss is rapid, patchy, painful, inflamed, associated with scalp sores or pustules, accompanied by eyebrow or eyelash loss, associated with systemic symptoms, or causing visible scarring. Early diagnosis matters because some inflammatory and scarring forms of alopecia can cause permanent follicle loss.
Alopecia Evaluation in Beverly Hills & Los Angeles
At PRP Treatment Beverly Hills, David Nazarian, MD evaluates the pattern and likely cause of hair loss before recommending treatment. Depending on the diagnosis, office-based treatment may include Kenalog injections for selected alopecia areata, PRP hair restoration, or PRF hair treatment. Patients whose presentation suggests scarring alopecia, complex autoimmune disease, infection, or another condition requiring specialist management are referred appropriately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Kenalog injections regrow hair?
Intralesional triamcinolone can help regrow hair in some adults with limited patchy alopecia areata by reducing local immune inflammation. It is not appropriate for all types of hair loss.
Is PRP good for alopecia?
It depends on the type. PRP has the strongest supporting evidence for androgenetic alopecia. It should not be treated as a universal therapy for autoimmune, infectious, scarring, or nutritional hair loss.
Can PRP and Kenalog be used together?
They target different problems. Kenalog is used primarily to suppress inflammation in selected alopecia areata lesions, while PRP is used more commonly for androgenetic hair thinning. Whether both have a role in the same patient depends on the diagnosis and should be determined clinically.
Is PRF better than PRP for hair loss?
There is not enough high-quality evidence to say that PRF is universally better than PRP for hair loss. Preparation methods and protocols differ, and treatment should be individualized.
