
Lower doses of a common antibiotic can curb hair loss caused by a rare skin condition, a new study says. The antibiotic doxycycline is commonly used to treat lymphocytic scarring alopecia, a condition in which the body’s immune cells target hair follicles, researchers said. But the relatively high doses of doxycycline used to prevent hair loss and scarring aren’t necessary, according to findings published March 18 in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. That means these patients can receive effective treatment without the nausea, vomiting and rashes that can accompany high doses of doxycycline, researchers said. “Our findings suggest that physicians can prescribe lower doses of doxycycline to patients struggling with lymphocytic scarring alopecia without compromising the efficacy and anti-inflammatory benefit of the therapy,” co-lead researcher Carli Needle, a medical student at NYU Grossman School of Medicine in New York City, said in a news release. For the study, researchers analyzed medical data for more than 240 men and women treated for lymphocytic scarring alopecia between 2009 and 2023. About 27% of patients had been prescribed low doses of doxycycline, and 73% the traditional high doses, researchers said. Results showed that lower doxycycline doses of around 20 milligrams twice daily were equally as effective as higher doses of up to 100 milligrams twice daily. Specifically, there was no significant difference in scalp inflammation,… read on > read on >