Comparison of Azelaic Acid and Anthralin for the Therapy of Patchy Alopecia Areata

In a 2005 pilot study involving 31 subjects with patchy alopecia areata, 20% azelaic acid and 0.5% anthralin were compared to assess their effectiveness in promoting hair regrowth. Subjects were randomly assigned to apply one of the two treatments for 12 weeks and were then observed for an additional 8 weeks without treatment. At week 20, 53.3% of the azelaic acid group and 56.2% of the anthralin group exhibited complete hair regrowth, with no significant difference in efficacy between the two treatments. The study reported no serious adverse events and suggested that azelaic acid could be an effective treatment for patchy alopecia areata, comparable to anthralin, but emphasized the need for larger trials to confirm these findings.