Effectiveness of 308-nm Excimer Laser Therapy in Treating Alopecia Areata, Determined by Examining the Treated Sides of Selected Alopecic Patches

Abstract

Background: Some studies have reported the use of 308-nm excimer laser therapy for treating alopecia areata (AA); however, the effectiveness of this therapy on a theoretical basis has not yet been comparatively analyzed. Objectives: To determine the therapeutic effect of excimer laser therapy on AA. Methods: One alopecic patch was divided into control and treated sides in 10 patients with AA. Then, 308-nm excimer laser therapy was administered twice a week for 12 weeks. Photograph and phototrichogram analyses were performed. Results: Photographic assessments by both dermatologists and individuals of the general population showed objective improvements after excimer laser therapy. On the treated side, the hair count and hair diameter had statistically increased after treatment. However, only the hair diameter was found to be significantly high in the treated half when it was compared with the control side. Conclusion: The 308-nm excimer laser has a therapeutic effect on AA, which is proven by photograph and phototrichogram analysis by a side-by-side comparison.

Three hundred and eight nanometer excimer light therapy for alopecia universalis that is resistant to other treatments: A clinical study of 11 patients

“…However, only hair diameter was found to be significantly higher in the treated half, as improvements were seen on the control side as well. 13 In our study, 27% of the patients achieved hair regrowth at the irradiated sites. On the other hand, 27% of the patients displayed hair regrowth at non-irradiated sites.…”

“…The mean age of the patients was 45.7 AE 16.9 years (range, 24-66) and the mean disease duration was 9.3 AE 8.1 years (range, 1-22). The treatments administrated to the patients included topical steroids (mean, 25 months; range, 3-60), infrared therapy (mean, 15.8 months; range, 9-30), topical immunotherapy (mean, 15.4 months; range, 7-29), corticosteroid pulse therapy and cryotherapy (mean, 11 months; range, [6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16]. In all cases, hair loss that extended beyond the scalp was used to confirm the diagnosis of AU.…”

Alopecia areata

“…The Excimer laser (ultraviolet laser) is currently commonly used and may offer a safe and effective alternative to medical treatments. However, recent reviews and reports indicate that randomized controlled clinical trials are needed to confirm this is a better approach than medical treatment, as the only result might be an increase in hair shaft diameter 172,173 . Preclinical trials with the mouse model for alopecia areata did not show efficacy using a laser comb 174 .…”

Use of Lasers in the Treatment of Alopecia Areata

“…Recently, a comparative study was done by dividing a single alopecic patch into control and treated side and applying the excimer laser for 12 weeks, twice a week. 25 The diameter of the hair was found to be significantly increased in the treated area when compared with the control side. Based on the results of the efficacy in treating refractory AA in these studies, the results suggest excimer laser as another option for the treatment of AA.…”

“…22,25 Excimer laser is a device widely used in the field of dermatology and has been considered to be relatively safe, with possible adverse events of burn, persistent erythema and pain. 25 In these studies,…”