Efficacy of low-level laser therapy in the treatment of Alopecia Areata
Based on an article written by Nermeen Mohamed Abdelhalim. PhD. PT
INTRODUCTION
Alopecia areata (AA) is a common disease of nonscarring alopecia including the scalp and/or body, characterized by hair loss without any clinical inflammatory signs. It is one of the most common forms of hair loss seen by dermatologists and accounts for 25% of all alopecia cases.1 Both males and females are equally affected and it can occur at any age, the highest prevalence age was between 30-59 years.
The etiology of AA is attributed to an autoimmune process, which may be modified by genetic factors and aggravated by emotional stress. Many studies have reported an abnormal cell-mediated immune reaction in AA. There is an increased suppressor T-cell function in patients experiencing hair regrowth.
TREATMENT
There are two principal treatment options: the use of an immunosuppressive regimen (preferable for patients with acute and rapidly progressing alopecia areata) or an immune deviation strategy that manipulates the intracutaneous inflammatory milieu (favoured for patients with the chronic, relapsing form).
Potent topical glucocorticoids are also widely used, especially in children and in adults with less than 50% loss of scalp hair. High-potency topical glucocorticoids with occlusive dressings are most effective and lead to improvement in more than 25% of involved patients; however, glucocorticoid-induced folliculitis is a common adverse effect.
Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) has been studied and used for the treatment of a variety of clinical indications including pain management, wound healing, and recently to enhance hair regrowth. Each of these applications is based on the principles of photobiomodulation which have demonstrated biological effects in living organisms.9 LLLT has been used to treat patches of AA with variable success rates, most studies agree that LLLT is safe for the treatment of hair loss, but more studies are needed to confirm its therapeutic effects.
RESULTS
This study was carried out to examine the efficacy of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) in the treatment of alopecia areata (AA) of the scalp. Loss of hair from the head and body is known as alopecia, sometimes resulting in baldness. When hair loss occurs in only one section, it is known as alopecia areata. This is the most common form of the disease and is associated with a sudden loss of hair, causing patches to appear on either the scalp or other bodily areas such as eyebrows, beards and moustaches.
The present study shows the efficacy of low-level laser therapy in the treatment of alopecia areata of the scalp. There were greater improvements in hair count and reducing the visual analogue scale of hair loss in study patches that underwent LLLT compared to control patches.
These photos are from an actual client with Alopecia Areata after 4 months treatment:
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