Evaluation of Treatment Response Using a Handheld Dermoscope in Patients with Alopecia Areata

This study evaluated the use of a handheld dermoscope in assessing treatment success in 49 patients with alopecia areata. Of the 30 patients who completed the 6-month follow-up, 12 showed a complete response to treatment, while 18 did not respond well or at all. The study found that pretreatment thinning hairs were more frequent in those who responded well. Posttreatment, significant reductions in yellow dots, black dots, thinning hairs, and broken hairs were observed in the responsive group, with the appearance of short terminal hairs. The study concluded that a polarized light handheld dermoscope was beneficial for evaluating treatment success in alopecia areata.