Excimer Light Versus Combination of Tacrolimus and Excimer Light in the Treatment of Alopecia Areata
January 2024
in “
Dermatologic Therapy
”
TLDR Combining tacrolimus with excimer light is more effective for treating alopecia areata than using excimer light alone.
This study involving 40 patients with alopecia areata compared the effectiveness of excimer light therapy alone to a combination of excimer light and topical tacrolimus. Group B, which received the combination treatment, showed a more significant reduction in the Severity of Alopecia Tool (SALT) score, with 40% achieving complete response compared to 15% in Group A. Additionally, Group B demonstrated higher improvement in T regulatory cell function and a greater increase in regrowing hair. The combination therapy was found to be more effective and safe, suggesting that adding tacrolimus enhances the therapeutic effect of excimer light in treating alopecia areata. However, the study's small sample size and lack of a control group were noted as limitations.