Alternate Treatment of Alopecia Areata with the Use of Calcipotriol: A Prospective Study in Children Versus Adults

The study investigated the efficacy of calcipotriol, a vitamin D analogue, as an alternative treatment for alopecia areata (AA) in both children and adults. A total of 60 patients with mild to moderate AA were divided into two groups: Group A (children under 12 years) and Group B (individuals over 12 years). Each participant had one patch of hair loss treated with calcipotriol lotion 0.005% twice daily for 3 months, while a control patch was left untreated. The results showed that calcipotriol significantly increased hair regrowth in both groups after 12 weeks. In Group A, 23 (76.6%) treated patches achieved full terminal hair growth, compared to 13 (43%) in Group B. Control patches showed minimal improvement. The study concluded that topical calcipotriol could be an effective treatment for AA, with children showing better outcomes than adults.