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

November 2024 in “ Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology ”

Hanjae Lee, J.W. Lee, S K Park, Hyunsun Park, Gun‐Ho Kim, Oh Sang Kwon

cryotherapy triamcinolone acetonide alopecia areata intralesional injection temperature-controlled cryotherapy TA AA

From the encyclopedia

autoimmune disorder causing patchy hair loss

Studysummary In this pilot study, cryotherapy using a device that precisely controls cooling duration improved hair regrowth for patchy alopecia areata when applied for 20 seconds with two freeze-thaw cycles, similar to standard triamcinolone acetonide injections, but not when applied for 10 seconds. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.

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.

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3 / 3 results

Cold Shock Therapy Promotes Hair Growth in Association with Upregulation of Cold-Inducible RNA-Binding Protein and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor

research Cold Shock Therapy Promotes Hair Growth in Association with Upregulation of Cold-Inducible RNA-Binding Protein and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor

1 citations , August 2024 in “Journal of Dermatological Science”

Cold shock therapy may help hair grow by increasing certain proteins.

research Efficacy and Safety of Superficial Cryotherapy for Alopecia Areata: A Retrospective Comprehensive Review of 353 Cases Over 22 Years

16 citations , October 2016 in “The Journal of Dermatology”

In this retrospective study, 60.9% of patients with alopecia areata responded to superficial hypothermic cryotherapy, with effectiveness notably higher when the treatment interval was 2 weeks or less, particularly in early disease stages, and minimal side effects were observed.

research Benefit of Different Concentrations of Intralesional Triamcinolone Acetonide in Alopecia Areata: An Intrasubject Pilot Study

50 citations , July 2015 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology”

This study found that 2.5 mg/mL triamcinolone acetonide injections were as effective as higher doses for treating limited, patchy alopecia areata, while minimizing side effects like skin atrophy.