Successful Treatment of Resistant Alopecia Areata with a Phototoxic Dose of Ultraviolet A After Topical 8-Methoxypsoralen Application

January 2011 in “ Photodermatology, photoimmunology & photomedicine ”

Mostafa Mokhtar Kamel, Samar Abdallah Mohamed Salem, Hanan Hamdy M. Attia

TLDR This therapy effectively treats resistant alopecia areata with minimal side effects.

The study evaluated the efficacy of phototoxic ultraviolet A (UVA) therapy after topical application of 8‐methoxypsoralen (8‐MOP) in treating resistant alopecia areata (AA). Thirty-five patients received the treatment every 3 months for up to four sessions. Results showed that 57% of patients responded positively, with 40% achieving complete and 17% partial hair regrowth, as indicated by significant improvements in the Severity of Alopecia Tool (SALT) score. The mean cumulative UVA dose was 22±8.3 J/cm². Mild, reversible side effects were observed in 63% of patients after the first session. The study concluded that this therapy is an effective treatment option for resistant AA, with a low total cumulative UVA dose, few sessions, and minimal reversible side effects.

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