Efficacy and Safety of Laser Therapy and Phototherapy in Cicatricial and NonCicatricial Alopecia: A Systematic Review Study

ABSTRACT Background and Aims In recent years, the application of various light and laser devices in the treatment of different types of alopecia has been established. This systematic review aims to assess the efficacy and safety of laser therapy and phototherapy in cicatricial and non‐cicatricial al...

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Main Authors: Mohammad Amin Jafari, Ghazal Bazgir, Fatemeh Sadat Hosseini‐Baharanchi, Alireza Jafarzadeh, Azadeh Goodarzi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2024-11-01
Series:Health Science Reports
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/hsr2.70180
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author Mohammad Amin Jafari
Ghazal Bazgir
Fatemeh Sadat Hosseini‐Baharanchi
Alireza Jafarzadeh
Azadeh Goodarzi
author_facet Mohammad Amin Jafari
Ghazal Bazgir
Fatemeh Sadat Hosseini‐Baharanchi
Alireza Jafarzadeh
Azadeh Goodarzi
author_sort Mohammad Amin Jafari
collection DOAJ
description ABSTRACT Background and Aims In recent years, the application of various light and laser devices in the treatment of different types of alopecia has been established. This systematic review aims to assess the efficacy and safety of laser therapy and phototherapy in cicatricial and non‐cicatricial alopecia. Methods A comprehensive search was conducted on PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, and Google Scholar. Articles were evaluated across four subgroups: alopecia areata, androgenic alopecia, telogen effluvium, and cicatricial alopecia. Included studies were published in English or Persian between January 2010 and September 2023, focusing on interventional, cohort, or case series research that achieved a minimum score of 75% on the EBL checklist. Exclusion criteria encompassed animal and in vitro studies, review articles, case reports, duplicated or irrelevant research, as well as studies that did not meet the designated EBL score. Editorial letters and case studies were also excluded. Results Initially, 965 records were collected, resulting in the inclusion of 58 studies in the final review: 26 on alopecia areata, 26 on androgenic alopecia, five on cicatricial alopecia, and one on telogen effluvium. Narrow‐band ultraviolet B, 308‐nm excimer laser, and psoralen ultraviolet A therapy showed varying effectiveness; specifically, the excimer laser was notably effective for patients with shorter disease duration. In androgenic alopecia, erbium‐glass and thulium lasers effectively increased hair density but showed a gradual decline posttreatment. Low‐level light/laser therapy also increased hair density and diameter and exhibited potential benefits when used alongside minoxidil, but did not significantly enhance outcomes in telogen effluvium treatment. Conclusion Light/laser therapy can serve as an additive treatment for cicatricial alopecia, particularly lichen planopilaris, but has limited efficacy in treating telogen effluvium. Overall, light/laser therapies exhibit a significant positive effect on increasing hair density and diameter across various alopecia types.
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spelling doaj-art-947c347b33a049589789941e1282fcd22025-08-20T02:05:31ZengWileyHealth Science Reports2398-88352024-11-01711n/an/a10.1002/hsr2.70180Efficacy and Safety of Laser Therapy and Phototherapy in Cicatricial and NonCicatricial Alopecia: A Systematic Review StudyMohammad Amin Jafari0Ghazal Bazgir1Fatemeh Sadat Hosseini‐Baharanchi2Alireza Jafarzadeh3Azadeh Goodarzi4Department of Dermatology, Rasool Akram Medical Complex Clinical Research Development Center (RCRDC), School of Medicine Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS) Tehran IranStudent Research Committee, School of Medicine Iran University of Medical Sciences Tehran IranDepartment of Biostatistics, School of Public Health Iran University of Medical Sciences Tehran IranDepartment of Dermatology, Rasool Akram Medical Complex Clinical Research Development Center (RCRDC), School of Medicine Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS) Tehran IranDepartment of Dermatology, Rasool Akram Medical Complex Clinical Research Development Center (RCRDC), School of Medicine Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS) Tehran IranABSTRACT Background and Aims In recent years, the application of various light and laser devices in the treatment of different types of alopecia has been established. This systematic review aims to assess the efficacy and safety of laser therapy and phototherapy in cicatricial and non‐cicatricial alopecia. Methods A comprehensive search was conducted on PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, and Google Scholar. Articles were evaluated across four subgroups: alopecia areata, androgenic alopecia, telogen effluvium, and cicatricial alopecia. Included studies were published in English or Persian between January 2010 and September 2023, focusing on interventional, cohort, or case series research that achieved a minimum score of 75% on the EBL checklist. Exclusion criteria encompassed animal and in vitro studies, review articles, case reports, duplicated or irrelevant research, as well as studies that did not meet the designated EBL score. Editorial letters and case studies were also excluded. Results Initially, 965 records were collected, resulting in the inclusion of 58 studies in the final review: 26 on alopecia areata, 26 on androgenic alopecia, five on cicatricial alopecia, and one on telogen effluvium. Narrow‐band ultraviolet B, 308‐nm excimer laser, and psoralen ultraviolet A therapy showed varying effectiveness; specifically, the excimer laser was notably effective for patients with shorter disease duration. In androgenic alopecia, erbium‐glass and thulium lasers effectively increased hair density but showed a gradual decline posttreatment. Low‐level light/laser therapy also increased hair density and diameter and exhibited potential benefits when used alongside minoxidil, but did not significantly enhance outcomes in telogen effluvium treatment. Conclusion Light/laser therapy can serve as an additive treatment for cicatricial alopecia, particularly lichen planopilaris, but has limited efficacy in treating telogen effluvium. Overall, light/laser therapies exhibit a significant positive effect on increasing hair density and diameter across various alopecia types.https://doi.org/10.1002/hsr2.70180alopeciaalopecia noncicatrisatabaldnesscicatrisatalow‐level light therapylupus erythematosus
spellingShingle Mohammad Amin Jafari
Ghazal Bazgir
Fatemeh Sadat Hosseini‐Baharanchi
Alireza Jafarzadeh
Azadeh Goodarzi
Efficacy and Safety of Laser Therapy and Phototherapy in Cicatricial and NonCicatricial Alopecia: A Systematic Review Study
Health Science Reports
alopecia
alopecia noncicatrisata
baldness
cicatrisata
low‐level light therapy
lupus erythematosus
title Efficacy and Safety of Laser Therapy and Phototherapy in Cicatricial and NonCicatricial Alopecia: A Systematic Review Study
title_full Efficacy and Safety of Laser Therapy and Phototherapy in Cicatricial and NonCicatricial Alopecia: A Systematic Review Study
title_fullStr Efficacy and Safety of Laser Therapy and Phototherapy in Cicatricial and NonCicatricial Alopecia: A Systematic Review Study
title_full_unstemmed Efficacy and Safety of Laser Therapy and Phototherapy in Cicatricial and NonCicatricial Alopecia: A Systematic Review Study
title_short Efficacy and Safety of Laser Therapy and Phototherapy in Cicatricial and NonCicatricial Alopecia: A Systematic Review Study
title_sort efficacy and safety of laser therapy and phototherapy in cicatricial and noncicatricial alopecia a systematic review study
topic alopecia
alopecia noncicatrisata
baldness
cicatrisata
low‐level light therapy
lupus erythematosus
url https://doi.org/10.1002/hsr2.70180
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