Alopecia patients have been given fresh hope after an eczema drug restored hair growth in a teenage girl suffering from the condition.

The unnamed 13-year-old had alopecia totalis - a total lack of scalp hair - as well as eczema, doctors revealed.

She experienced 'significant' hair regrowth while being treated with dupilumab, a drug marketed under the brand name Dupixent.

The drug is approved for the treatment of moderate to severe eczema, also called atopic dermatitis, in the US and UK.

Study senior author Dr Maryanne Makredes Senna, of Massachusetts General Hospital spoke of her 'surprise' at the results.

She said: 'We were quite surprised since this patient hadn't grown scalp hair since the age of two, and other treatments that can help with hair loss did not in her case.

'As far as we know, this is the first report of hair regrowth with dupilumab in a patient with any degree of alopecia areata.'