Original Articles
Clinical Application of a Linear Polarized Light Therapeutic Instrument (Super LizerTM) as a Treatment for Alopecia Areata
2002 Volume 112 Issue 2 Pages 123-128
Details
2002 Volume 112 Issue 2 Pages 123-128
Super LizerTM (SL) is a linear polarized light therapeutic instrument which provides a high output infrared ray. In this study, sixty patients over 18 years of age with various types of alopecia areata (AA) were topically irradiated by SL, and its effect as a therapeutic method was evaluated. AA consisting of single or multiple patchy lesions was irradiated for three minutes intermittently once per one or two weeks. Alopecia totalis and universalis cases were irradiated for five minutes continuously on the occipital side of the scalp once daily for four weeks in combination with topical/systemic corticosteroid and general PUVA therapies. Nineteen out of 22 cases (86.4%) of AA with a single patchy lesion were cured, while 10 out of 18 cases of AA with multiple patchy lesions (55.6%) showed hair regrowth in irradiated areas 1.4 months earlier than those of the non-irradiated areas (by X2, p=0.0002). In the cases of alopecia totalis and universalis, no obvious difference in hair regrowth was observed between the irradiated and non-irradiated areas after the treatment. As adverse effects caused by SL treatment, two patients complained of heat sensations in the irradiated area. These findings suggest that SL, with its non-invasive properties, is a useful apparatus for the treatment of mild forms of AA.
