Light Therapy For Alopecia Areata

There are only a few studies on this light therapy treatment for alopecia areata and each one shows low success rates 17 20 for inducing hair growth.

Light therapy for alopecia areata.

It can be in small amounts leading to bald patches or larger volumes all the way up to complete hair loss including eyebrows and eyelashes. Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disorder that causes your hair to come out often in clumps the size and shape of a quarter. Currently the excimer laser is the most widely studied device and has shown positive results thus far. A small study in the journal of cosmetic and laser therapy explored the effect of low level light on people with alopecia.

One research even writes the role of nb uvb in alopecia areata is questionable. The psoralen is administered topically or orally and is followed by 1 or 2 hours with uva ultraviolet a. Alopecia areata is an autoimmune condition that causes hair to fall out in round patches. The amount of hair loss is different in everyone.

In these reports the excimer laser appears to produce better results for alopecia areata partialis of the scalp as compared to alopecia areata partialis of the beard and extremities alopecia totalis and alopecia universalis 30 31 32. The national alopecia areata foundation can help you find a specialist who offers this treatment in the u s. The study revealed that people who received rlt had improved hair density. However between 40 and 80 treatments may be required before hair regrowth occurs.

Psoralen photochemotherapy psoralen and ultraviolet light a or puva is another immunosuppressant treatment that is used for alopecia areata. Laser and light treatments offer a safe and effective alternative. Although the nails can be involved the major symptom is hair loss. There are a handful of studies on the topic.

This article looks at the scientific evidence for photobiomodulation or low level laser therapy in the treatment of alopecia areata. Alopecia areata is a relatively common autoimmune disease. Drugs to block the immune response immunomodulatory drugs specifically janus kinase jak inhibitors such as tofacitinib xeljanz and ruxolitinib jakafi are a new type of therapy being tested for alopecia. This review aims to provide clinicians with a comprehensive summary of laser and light based modalities used for the treatment of alopecia areata.

Learn about its symptoms causes and treatment. A couple of human studies using similar parameters have shown very promising results while others using different parameters were not as successful.