A Comparative Clinical and Trichoscopic Study Between Fractional Radiofrequency Microneedling Versus Intralesional Steroids in Treatment of Alopecia Areata

March 2025 in “ Dermatologic Surgery ”

Eman Raafat Said, Solwan Ibrahim El-Samanoudy, Nageatte Ibrahim, N. Mahmoud, Sarah Orabi

fractional radiofrequency microneedling intralesional corticosteroid alopecia areata trichoscopic study FRM ILCS AA

Studysummary This study found that fractional radiofrequency microneedling may be as effective and safe as intralesional corticosteroid injections for treating patchy alopecia areata, with potentially fewer side effects.

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The study compared the efficacy and safety of fractional radiofrequency microneedling (FRM) and intralesional corticosteroid (ILCS) injections in treating alopecia areata (AA) in 24 patients with multifocal patchy AA. Each patient had 3 patches treated with FRM, ILCS, or left untreated as a control. After 6 sessions at 3-week intervals, both FRM and ILCS showed comparable efficacy, with no significant differences in trichoscopic scores, physician global assessment, or patient satisfaction. The study concludes that FRM is an effective and safe alternative to ILCS for treating patchy AA, with the advantage of fewer side effects.

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