The Role of Fractional Laser-Assisted Drug Delivery in Enhancing the Efficacy of Topical Bimatoprost Solution in the Treatment of Alopecia Areata: An Intra-Patient Comparative Randomized Clinical Trial

The study involved 20 patients with alopecia areata and compared the effectiveness of topical 0.03% bimatoprost solution alone and in combination with fractional CO2 laser treatment. The combination therapy group showed a superior outcome with a mean percentage of hair regrowth of 46.43% at the end of the study and 46.42% at the end of the follow-up period, compared to 21.16% and 16.11% respectively in the monotherapy group. After three months, 15% of cases in the combination therapy group showed excellent improvement, while none was observed in the bimatoprost group. Side effects were transient and decreased after a few days, with no significant difference between the two treatment groups. The study concluded that fractional CO2 laser-assisted drug delivery enhances the efficacy of topical bimatoprost solution in the treatment of alopecia areata.