Platelet-rich plasma in the treatment of alopecia areata: A retrospective evaluation of 17 patients

Abstract

Background: Alopecia areata (AA) is a disease of unknown etiology which is thought to be autoimmune, that presents challenges in terms of treatment. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) can induce the development of new hair follicles through various growth factors it contains. PRP could be a treatment option for patients with AA. Objectives: We aim to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of PRP treatment in patients with patch-type AA. Methods: The study included 17 patients diagnosed with patch-type AA who received PRP treatment at least 3 sessions every 4 weeks. Treatment response was evaluated by calculating the severity of alopecia tool (SALT) scores. Results: The mean age of patients was 29.70 ± 10.09, and the mean disease duration was 18.17 ± 39.46 months. The mean SALT score of 17 patients was 6.82 ± 4.96 and 4.35 ± 4.58 before treatment and at the end of the 3rd month, respectively. The reduction in SALT scores was statistically significant (P = 0.01). At the end of the 3rd month, six patients (35.3%) had an excellent response, one patient (5.9%) had a good response, one patient (5.9%) had a partial response, and nine patients (52.9%) showed no response. The mean SALT scores of four patients who received six sessions of PRP of treatment were 6.00 ± 2.94 and 1.75 ± 2.06 at the end of the 6th month. No serious side effects were noted. Relapse was observed in one patient within 1 year of follow-up. Conclusion: As a result of our study, PRP treatment was found to be an effective and reliable treatment method in patients with mild AA.