Alopecia

The document discusses the use of cryotherapy as a treatment for alopecia areata (AA), a non-scarring hair loss condition. While not commonly used for alopecias, superficial cryotherapy has been proposed as a first-line treatment for milder forms of AA, particularly in children who are more susceptible to side effects and pain from other treatments. The treatment involves using liquid nitrogen spray or cryomassage with a cotton-tipped dipstick on the affected areas. Studies have shown that more than 60% of patients experienced hair regrowth, with a low rate of relapse. The proposed mechanism behind the effectiveness of cryotherapy is the dilation of vessels around hair follicles, which improves their nutritional status. The document concludes that cryotherapy can be an effective, simple, and convenient treatment with few side effects, and it can be used alone or in combination with other treatments. However, the unpredictable course of AA makes it difficult to accurately evaluate the efficacy of cryotherapy.