Hair Transplantation for Lichen Planopilaris: A Case Series of Five Patients

Background: Although the history of treating alopecia with hair transplantation spans over 60 years, the literature providing evidence for the use of this method in patients with alopecia caused by lichen planopilaris (LPP) is extremely limited and primarily consists of isolated case reports. It has been suggested that these data may be subject to publication bias. Here, we describe a case series of five consecutive patients with LPP who underwent hair transplantation using the follicular unit extraction technique. Methods: Patient satisfaction was assessed twice (6 months and >12 months after transplantation), on a 5-point Likert scale, where 1 indicated no satisfaction at all and 5 indicated high satisfaction. Results: In the near follow-up, two patients reported strong dissatisfaction (40%), two patients were rather satisfied (40%), and one patient was very satisfied. In two cases, multiple surgeries were required to achieve a positive outcome. According to the physicians, all cases exhibited a positive therapeutic effect, which was documented with photographs. No complications were observed. In the extended follow-up, all patients declared satisfaction. Conclusions: Hair regrowth in patients with LPP is possible, despite the common belief that hair loss in LPP is irreversible.