Fractional CO2 laser versus microneedling as a transepidermal drug delivery system for the treatment of alopecia areata: A clinical dermoscopic evaluation

Abstract

New treatment modalities are rising for better clinical improvement in alopecia areata. This work aims to evaluate the efficacy of fractional CO₂ laser and microneedling as a transepidermal drug delivery in cases with alopecia areata. The study included 30 patients with alopecia areata. All lesions in each patient have received randomly two different treatment modalities, fractional CO₂ laser or microneedling followed by triamcinolone acetonide (TA) application according to group assignment. Sessions were done every month for a maximum of six sessions or complete resolution. Response to treatment was assessed on SALT score and dermoscopic imaging. Both treatment modalities showed a significant clinical improvement of alopecia areata, with a statistically significant reduction of SALT score for fractional CO₂ laser group and microneedling group (p value <0.001). Moreover, there is a significant difference in the SALT score between both modalities (p = 0.013), whereas the reduction of the SALT score was more evident in microneedling group. On comparing the dermoscopy findings in fractional CO₂ laser and microneedling treated areas before and after treatment, a significant reduction was found regarding all dermoscopic findings of alopecia areata. Fractional CO₂ laser and microneedling as a transepidermal drug delivery could be a novel and effective treatment modality in alopecia areata. Dermoscopy is very useful to identify disease activity and early signs of clinical improvement during treatment.

Keywords: alopecia areata; fractional CO2 laser; microneedling; transepidermal drug delivery.