Excimer Laser for Alopecia Areata: On the List!

Meta-Analysis Shows that Excimer laser Is Moderate Option for Alopecia Areata

Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease whereby activated immune infiltrate the skin and cause hair loss by affecting how hair grows.

Excimer laser is a type of ultraviolet B laser and has been studied for use in alopecia for many years. This type of laser therapy is different from red light low level laser used in the treatment of androgenetic alopecia (which are generally 655 nm).

Researchers from South Korea set out to examine all published studies in alopecai areata involving use of excimer laser. The authors identified a total of 9 prospective clinical studies involving 129 patient with alopecia areata. This included 5 controlled trials. Taken together, cosmetically acceptable hair regrowth was achieved in 50.2% of patients receiving excimer laser and regrowth was more effective than controls who did not receive any type of treatment. There were no serious adverse effect was noted.

Comment.

In a world of expanding biological therapies for alopecia areata, it’s easy to forget the role of excimer laser. The reasonable effectiveness and good safety make it an important consideration for refractory alopecia. Whether one views it as a second line therapy or third line therapy is open to debate and of course depends on access to the treatment.

REFERENCE

Hae LEe Ji et al. Excimer laser/light treatment of alopecia areata: A systematic review and meta-analyses. Photodermatol Photoimmunol Photomed. 2020 Nov;36(6):460-469.