Comparative Analysis of Temperature-Controlled Cryotherapy Versus Intralesional Triamcinolone Acetonide Injection for Alopecia Areata: An Intrasubject Split-Lesion Pilot Study

This pilot study compared temperature-controlled cryotherapy to intralesional triamcinolone acetonide (TA) injections for treating alopecia areata (AA) using an intrasubject split-lesion design. Conducted on 15 patients, the study found that cryotherapy with a 20-second duration and two freeze-thaw cycles significantly improved hair regrowth compared to the negative control, similar to TA treatment. However, cryotherapy with a 10-second duration did not show significant improvement. Despite some adverse events, most participants preferred cryotherapy, highlighting its potential as a viable treatment option for AA when precise temperature control is applied. The study acknowledges limitations such as a small sample size and potential cross-quadrant effects.