Interferon-alpha is an immune system hormone that is very helpful to a relatively small number of patients, and somewhat helpful to most patients. In about 65% of patients, the drug helps stabilize the disease or produce a slow, minor improvement for a partial response.The typical dosing schedule injects at least 3 million units of interferon-alpha (not pegylated versions) three times a week, although the original protocol began with 6 months of daily injections. Some patients tolerate IFN-alpha very well after the first fw weeks, while others find that its characteristic flu-like symptoms persist. About 10% of patients develop a level of depression. By maintaining a steadier level of the hormone in the body, daily injections might cause fewer side effects in selected patients. Drinking at least 2 liters of water each day, while avoiding caffeine and alcohol, can reduce many of the side effects. A drop in blood counts is usually seen during the first 1–2 months of treatment. Most patients find that their blood counts get worse for a few weeks immediately after starting treatment, although some patients find their blood counts begin to improve within just 2 weeks.Typically, 6 months are neededto figure out whether this therapy is useful. Common criteria for treatment success include:

Normalization of hemoglobin levels (above 12.0 g/dL),
A normal or somewhat low platelet count (above 100 K/µL), and
A normal or somewhat low absolute neutrophil count (above 1.5 K/µL).If it is well tolerated, patients usually take the hormone for 12 to 18 months.
Lipedematous alopecia is a disorder characterized by a thick boggy scalp and hair loss. See also
Hot comb alopecia
List of cutaneous conditions


== References ==