Efficacy and Safety of Topical Calcipotriol 0.005% Versus Topical Clobetasol 0.05% in the Management of Alopecia Areata: An Intrasubject Pilot Study

In a study from April 27, 2020, involving 35 patients with scalp alopecia areata (AA), the efficacy and safety of calcipotriol 0.005% ointment, a synthetic vitamin D derivative, was compared to clobetasol 0.05%, a corticosteroid, using an intrasubject design. The study found that patches treated with calcipotriol showed a greater and faster response than those treated with clobetasol, but the differences were not statistically significant. The study was prospective in design but was limited by the small sample size. Calcipotriol was deemed reasonably effective for mild to moderate patchy AA with limited and reversible side effects.