Fractional CO2 Laser vs Intralesional Corticosteroids in Alopecia Areata: A Comparative Study of Efficacy, Safety, and Predictive Factors

This study compared the effectiveness of Fractional CO2 laser therapy to intralesional corticosteroid injections in treating alopecia areata among 60 patients. The results showed that the CO2 laser group had a significantly higher rate of clinically significant response, with 76.7% of patients achieving at least 50% hair regrowth, compared to 46.7% in the corticosteroid group. This indicates a 30% absolute improvement and a 3.79-fold higher odds of treatment success with the CO2 laser. The study concludes that Fractional CO2 laser therapy may be a better therapeutic alternative due to fewer complications compared to traditional corticosteroid injections.