Hair-Raising News: A Study on Alopecia Areata Treatment
January 2009
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Studysummary This study enrolled nine patients to investigate the effects of oral psoralen and ultraviolet A therapy plus oral prednisolone for treating alopecia areata.
Our plain-language summary. Not medical advice or a treatment recommendation. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before changing treatment. Full disclaimer
In a study involving nine patients with alopecia areata, researchers tested a combination of oral psoralen and ultraviolet A (PUVA) therapy with oral prednisolone. The participants, who had previously not responded to other treatments, included six with alopecia totalis and three with alopecia universalis. After 3 months, seven patients showed greatly increased hair growth, while two showed moderate growth. The control group, which only received prednisolone, had significantly lower hair growth scores. The study suggested that the treatment might restore T regulatory cell function, contributing to hair regrowth. However, it remained unclear if PUVA alone would be effective without prednisolone.
