Original Article: Effectiveness of Steroid Minipulse Therapy for Alopecia Areata

The study evaluated the effectiveness of minipulse therapy with betamethasone in 46 patients with alopecia areata. Patients received 3 mg of betamethasone orally on 2 consecutive days per week. Hair regrowth was observed in 67.4% of patients, with side effects including acne (14 patients), weight gain (11 patients), gastrointestinal discomfort (6 patients), and facial flushing or edema (5 patients). Nineteen patients experienced no side effects. The study concluded that this therapy was effective in arresting alopecia areata progression and inducing hair regrowth, with fewer and less severe side effects compared to traditional pulse therapy with methylprednisolone.