Narrowband Ultraviolet B Phototherapy for Alopecia Areata

The study assessed the efficacy of narrowband ultraviolet B (NB UVB) phototherapy in treating alopecia areata (AA) in 25 patients. Initial hair regrowth was observed in 60% of patients after an average of 18 sessions. However, only 24% achieved an excellent response, and the majority had less than 50% hair regrowth. The study found that NB UVB alone was not highly effective, with better results seen in patients who also received corticosteroid injections. The findings suggested that NB UVB's role in AA treatment is limited and further randomized controlled trials are needed to compare its efficacy with other treatments like PUVA.