A combination of herbal formulas, acupuncture, and novel pine-needle stimulation for recurrent alopecia areata

Head hair is a symbol of vitality, and hair loss by alopecia areata (AA) presents a burden on patients. Although traditional Japanese Kampo medicine (JKM) formulas, acupuncture, and moxibustion have historically been used for treating AA, no studies have utilized a combination of these modalities.A 34-year-old male with a history of childhood asthma presented with a sudden hair loss at the top of his head without any preceding symptoms. Except for a hairless patch of 5 cm × 6 cm, his general appearance was otherwise good. The patient underwent topical immunotherapy on visiting a dermatologist. However, the patient noticed an exacerbation of his hairless lesion.The AA diagnosis was established based on clinical appearance and dermatological findings. The Severity of Alopecia Tool (SALT) score for alopecia was 19% at diagnosis.The patient received 2 JKM formulas (saikokaryukotsuboreito and shichimotsukokato) in combination with acupuncture. When relapse occurred, a novel self-administration of pine-needle acupuncture was initiated in combination with the JKM formulas.A 50% recovery from the baseline SALT score was achieved using JKM formulas in combination with acupuncture for 4 months. The patient achieved complete remission for 5 months. However, another stressful event induced an AA relapse with multiple lesions harboring a SALT score of 13%. Pine-needle acupuncture was initiated, resulting in faster resolution than the first treatment. Recoveries of 50% and 75% were achieved 3 and 4 months after relapse, respectively, and a long-lasting response without relapse was obtained for at least 3 years.A combination of multimodal traditional therapies, including JKM formulas, acupuncture, and self-administered pine-needle stimulation, represents an effective integrative treatment for patients with AA.