Vibration Assisted Analgesia During Intralesional Corticosteroid Therapy for Alopecia

The study investigated the efficacy and safety of vibration assisted analgesia (VAA) during intralesional corticosteroid therapy (ICT) for alopecia. Conducted at a tertiary hair clinic, 52 patients (45 female, 7 male, average age 47) with various hair loss disorders were included. VAA was used in 49 patients, with 39 able to compare pain levels to previous ICT without analgesia. Results showed that 85% (33/39) reported reduced pain, 13% (5/39) felt no difference, and 1 patient felt worse. VAA was found to be an effective, inexpensive, and safe method to reduce pain, allowing ICT use in a broader patient cohort, including those with needle phobia and children.