Corticosteroid Telangiectasias
Corticosteroid Telangiectasias
Topical steroids have an important role in the treatment of hair loss. Like any medication, they must be respected.
Dilatation of blood vessels (telangiectasias) can occur with prolonged topical steroid use. This is thought to occur due to stimulation of release of a chemical known as nitric oxide (NO) from dermal vessel endothelial cells which in turn leads to abnormal blood vessel dilatation. This photo shows telangiectasias occurring in a patient with alopecia areata treated with prolonged topical clobetasol.
This article was written by Dr. Jeff Donovan, a Canadian and US board certified dermatologist specializing exclusively in hair loss.