308-nm Excimer Laser for the Treatment of Alopecia Areata in Children

: Alopecia areata (AA) is a common skin disease which is characterized by nonscarring localized or diffused hair loss. In this study we assessed the efficacy of 308‐nm Excimer laser in the treatment of alopecia areata in children. A total of 9 children with 30 recalcitrant patches alopecia areata and two children with alopecia areata totalis were enrolled in this study which included seven male and four female patients, aged between 4 and 14 years and the durations of their disease were between 7 and 25 months. All of these patients had more than one lesion of alopecia areata and at least one of them was left as a control for comparison. The lesions were treated with the 308‐nm Excimer laser twice a week for a period of 12 weeks. Regrowth of hair was observed in 18 (60%) alopecia patches in the scalp, while there was no response in the control patches and over the extremities. Only four patients with scalp lesions showed a recurrence of alopecia after 6 months post laser therapy. So, 308‐nm Excimer laser is considered an effective safe therapeutic option for patchy alopecia areata in children.