Excimer Lamp as an Effective Alternative Treatment for Severe Alopecia Areata
December 2014
in “
Dermatologica sinica/Zhōnghuá pífūkē yīxué zázhì
”
New to Alopecia Areata? There is a guide in the encyclopedia. Read the guide → Studysummary In this study, the 308-nm excimer lamp was reported to be a safe alternative treatment for alopecia areata, with a 41.1% overall response rate and a 50% response rate in severe cases. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.
The study evaluated the efficacy of a 308-nm excimer lamp in treating alopecia areata (AA) in 17 patients, finding an overall response rate of 41.2% and a satisfactory response (more than 50% hair regrowth) in 29.4% of patients. Patients with severe AA (≥50% hair loss) had a 50% response rate, with improvements typically observed after 2 months of treatment. Mild side effects included erythema and pruritus. The study concluded that the excimer lamp was a safe and effective alternative treatment for AA, especially in severe cases, despite limitations such as the small sample size and retrospective nature.
