Topical Calcipotriol Versus Oral Vitamin D in the Treatment of Alopecia Areata

In a 2019 study involving 50 patients with localized alopecia areata, topical calcipotriol was found to be more effective than oral vitamin D in treating the condition. The study divided patients into two groups, with 25 receiving topical calcipotriol 0.005% twice daily and 25 receiving oral vitamin D daily for 3 months. The topical calcipotriol group showed a 68% patient satisfaction rate with 52% achieving full regrowth, while the oral vitamin D group had less significant improvement and some continued signs of alopecia activity. The study concluded that topical calcipotriol had better outcomes than oral vitamin D for mild and moderate alopecia areata, and there was no correlation between serum vitamin D levels and treatment efficacy, indicating that vitamin D level screening might not be necessary before treatment. Further research on a larger scale was recommended to investigate vitamin D receptor deficiency in alopecia areata patients.