July 2026 in “Journal of Dermatological Treatment” This study observed that excimer laser therapy led to subjective improvements in hair appearance for 60% of scarring alopecia patients and reduced symptoms like scalp pain, burning, and pruritus, indicating potential as an adjunctive treatment for inflammatory control and disease stabilization.
June 2026 in “Frontiers in Medicine” This study evaluated the 308-nm excimer laser as an adjuvant treatment for frontal fibrosing alopecia and found it may stabilize hairline recession and improve erythema and perifollicular hyperkeratosis, with transient erythema as the only reported adverse effect.
February 2026 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology” In this study, researchers characterized the clinical features of ophiasis, an uncommon type of alopecia areata, and proposed a new subtype classification that may help predict treatment response and guide management, noting that ophiasis generally has a chronic and refractory nature.
1 citations
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December 2025 in “Photodermatology Photoimmunology & Photomedicine” This study found that early initiation of phototherapy is an effective treatment strategy for certain subtypes of AA, particularly in older patients and those with a shorter disease duration.
November 2025 in “Frontiers in Medicine” In this prospective cohort, baseline severity, disease activity, and relapse history were identified as key factors influencing response and recurrence in alopecia areata, suggesting that implementing standardized assessments could enhance risk stratification and personalized care approaches.
October 2025 in “Science Advances” In this study, researchers demonstrated that CD4 T cells from skin-draining lymph nodes in mice with alopecia areata can transfer the disease to recipient mice, revealing a critical role for CD4 T cells in disease development and suggesting potential therapeutic targets.
October 2025 in “Lasers in Medical Science” September 2025 in “Lasers in Medical Science” 
3 citations
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June 2025 in “Archives of Dermatological Research” In this review, researchers found that TNF-α, IL-17, and JAK inhibitors show the most promise for stabilizing and resolving scarring alopecias, with IL-23 and Interferon Alpha Receptor 1 inhibitors also providing some benefits in managing these hair loss conditions.
1 citations
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April 2025 in “Acta Dermato Venereologica” In this study, a retrospective analysis at Erasmus University Medical Center found that methotrexate and cyclosporine A may be most effective for lichen planopilaris and cyclosporine A and retinoids for frontal fibrosing alopecia, although side effects were a concern.
1 citations
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February 2025 in “Skin Health and Disease” In this case study, a 39-year-old Japanese woman with severe alopecia areata demonstrated complete hair regrowth after one year using a combination of 0.5% delgocitinib ointment and excimer laser, suggesting potential efficacy and safety compared to conventional treatments.
1 citations
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February 2025 in “Archives of Dermatological Research” Using Excimer light with topical steroids is the most effective treatment for alopecia areata.
November 2024 in “Health Science Reports” This systematic review found that light and laser therapies, including excimer and erbium-glass lasers, generally increase hair density and diameter in various types of alopecia, with particularly notable effects in androgenic alopecia but limited efficacy in telogen effluvium.
This study identified distinct immune differences in patients with alopecia areata, particularly those with atopic backgrounds, and highlighted the OX40 axis as a potential therapeutic target for the condition.
21 citations
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February 2024 in “JAMA Dermatology” This study identified multiple factors affecting the severity of alopecia areata, suggesting they could inform a tool for measuring disease impact and guide treatment selection.
4 citations
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January 2024 in “JEADV. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology/Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology” This consensus statement outlines a treatment algorithm for alopecia areata, detailing systemic treatment indications and options, including EMA-approved medications baricitinib and ritlecitinib for severe cases, as well as other off-label treatments and adjuvant therapies like oral minoxidil.
1 citations
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January 2024 in “Dermatologic Therapy” This study found that combining excimer light at 308 nm with tacrolimus 0.1% was more effective in treating alopecia areata of the scalp compared to excimer light alone, as indicated by a greater reduction in the SALT score and better improvement in Treg function.
4 citations
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November 2023 in “Frontiers in immunology” In this narrative review, researchers outlined the role of T cells in the autoimmune pathogenesis of alopecia areata and highlighted ongoing research into therapeutic pathways, beyond current JAK inhibitors, aimed at developing new treatments for the disease.
1 citations
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November 2023 in “Skin Appendage Disorders” This study found that 308 nm excimer lamp therapy provides a good clinical response with fewer adverse effects for limited alopecia areata but is less effective for widespread hair loss like alopecia totalis.
November 2023 in “Deleted Journal” In this study, the researchers found no superiority of combining 308-nm excimer laser with intralesional corticosteroid over corticosteroid alone for treating frontal fibrosing alopecia, and reported side effects such as erythema and postinflammatory hyperpigmentation in both treatment groups.
57 citations
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August 2023 in “American Journal of Clinical Dermatology” JAK inhibitors and platelet-rich plasma show promise for treating alopecia areata.
August 2023 in “European journal of dermatology/EJD. European journal of dermatology” This study reported that therapeutic make-up significantly improves the long-term quality of life for patients with facial dermatoses, showing a sustained benefit one year after application, particularly in younger patients.
August 2023 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” This article discusses various treatments for primary cicatricial alopecia with a focus on early intervention to manage symptoms and improve hair density, but it reports no new clinical results.
May 2023 in “Journal of Clinical Medicine” This review article reports recent advancements in understanding, diagnosing, and treating various hair loss conditions, like androgenetic alopecia and alopecia areata, including their genetic factors and new therapeutic options, while also examining the impact of COVID-19 on hair loss.
227 citations
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April 2023 in “The Lancet” Ritlecitinib effectively treats alopecia areata and is well-tolerated.
40 citations
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August 2022 in “Frontiers in immunology” This review discusses the potential of JAK inhibitors as a promising treatment strategy for alopecia areata, highlighting their mechanism and recent FDA approval based on clinical trial efficacy.
13 citations
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November 2021 in “Pediatric Dermatology” This study found that oral tofacitinib was effective and well tolerated for treating alopecia areata in most pediatric patients, with nearly 73% experiencing hair regrowth.
August 2021 in “Journal of advances in medicine and medical research” In this study, both excimer light and low level light therapy were found to be safe and effective for treating alopecia areata, with excimer light showing better and more sustained improvement.
8 citations
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June 2021 in “Frontiers in Medicine” This study reported that the combination of a 308-nm excimer lamp and 10% liquor carbonis detergens significantly improved scalp psoriasis symptoms compared to the excimer lamp alone, with more patients achieving 75% reduction in their Psoriasis Scalp Severity Index.
48 citations
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April 2021 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology” This study found that topical corticosteroids are the most supported first-line treatment for pediatric alopecia areata, with contact immunotherapy as the next best option.
134 citations
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July 2020 in “Experimental dermatology” This review discusses immune privilege in anagen hair follicles and its collapse in alopecia areata, emphasizing the importance of restoring this function for effective management and disease relapse prevention.
4 citations
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January 2020 in “Lasers in Surgery and Medicine” This study found that combining a 308-nm excimer lamp with minoxidil led to significant hair regrowth in alopecia areata patients, with side effects like hyperpigmentation being tolerable.
55 citations
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October 2019 in “The journal of allergy and clinical immunology/Journal of allergy and clinical immunology/The journal of allergy and clinical immunology” This review discusses emerging research areas in alopecia areata pathobiology, highlighting the potential roles of unconventional immune cells and the need for more targeted therapeutic strategies, but reports no new experimental results.
9 citations
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June 2019 in “Archives of Dermatological Research” This study found that both topical calcipotriol and narrow band ultraviolet B phototherapy improved hair regrowth and vitamin D3 levels in alopecia areata patients.
14 citations
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April 2019 in “International Journal of Women's Health” This review highlights current treatment options for frontal fibrosing alopecia, noting that 5-α-reductase inhibitors, intralesional steroids, and hydroxychloroquine have the highest evidence of effectiveness, while other therapies show variable results and need further research.
29 citations
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March 2019 in “JEADV. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology/Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology” This study found that the severity, duration, and relapse rate of alopecia areata decreased with older age at onset, while relapses mostly occurred early and declined over time.
95 citations
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November 2016 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” This article reviews primary cicatricial alopecias, focusing on lymphocytic forms such as chronic cutaneous lupus erythematosus, according to a classification by the North American Hair Research Society, and reports no new clinical results.
13 citations
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April 2016 in “Journal of Dermatology” In this study, 308-nm excimer light therapy showed significant effects in some patients with treatment-resistant alopecia universalis, suggesting it as a potential alternative therapy.
47 citations
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October 2015 in “Dermatologic surgery” This review discusses the applications of the 308-nm excimer laser in treating various dermatologic conditions and suggests treatment is generally well tolerated, but calls for larger long-term studies.
30 citations
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January 2015 in “Dermatology” This study found that 308-nm excimer laser therapy improved hair diameter in alopecia areata patients, as shown by photographic assessments and a side-by-side comparison with control patches.
January 2015 in “Przegla̧d dermatologiczny” This study evaluated 308 nm excimer light therapy for alopecia areata but the abstract does not provide specific clinical results or conclusions.
4 citations
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December 2014 in “Dermatologica sinica/Zhōnghuá pífūkē yīxué zázhì” In this study, the 308-nm excimer lamp was reported to be a safe alternative treatment for alopecia areata, with a 41.1% overall response rate and a 50% response rate in severe cases.
701 citations
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August 2014 in “Nature medicine” This study found that JAK inhibitors promote hair regrowth in both mice and human alopecia areata cases by blocking key immune pathways involved in disease development.
17 citations
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December 2013 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology Symposium Proceedings” The excimer laser may help hair regrow in alopecia areata patients.
220 citations
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June 2013 in “The Journal of Pathology” This study found that immune privilege collapse in the hair follicle bulge and associated immune responses may contribute significantly to the pathogenesis of lichen planopilaris, suggesting a potential autoimmune basis for the disease.
421 citations
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April 2012 in “The New England Journal of Medicine” Alopecia Areata is an autoimmune condition causing hair loss with no cure and treatments that often don't work well.
170 citations
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December 2009 in “Histopathology” This review discusses the histopathological diagnosis of scarring and non-scarring alopecias, emphasizing the importance of adequate tissue sampling and clinical information; it reports no new empirical results.
79 citations
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September 2009 in “Pediatric dermatology” This study found that the 308-nm Excimer laser was effective and safe for treating patchy alopecia areata in children, with hair regrowth observed in 60% of treated scalp patches.
64 citations
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June 2009 in “Photomedicine and Laser Surgery” This study found that monochromatic excimer light achieved complete remission in over 50% of plaque psoriasis cases and various levels of improvement in other skin conditions, including vitiligo and mycosis fungoides.
126 citations
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April 2006 in “International Journal of Dermatology” This study found that frontal fibrosing alopecia and lichen planopilaris have similar histopathological features, but FFA exhibits more prominent apoptosis and less inflammation with spared interfollicular epidermis.
85 citations
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November 2004 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology” The 308-nm excimer laser helps hair regrowth in some alopecia areata cases but not all.
370 citations
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September 1999 in “The New England Journal of Medicine” This article discusses the treatment of androgenetic alopecia and alopecia areata with finasteride and minoxidil but reports no new clinical results.
