N-acetylcysteine in alopecia areata

Title : N-acetylcysteine in alopecia areata

Abstract:

Background: Alopecia areata (AA) is an autoimmune condition that causes non-scarring hair loss. Although several therapy options exist, many have considerable adverse effects and/or low efficacy. This encourages the ongoing creation of innovative treatments.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) combined with microneedling (MN) versus microneedling (MN) alone in treating alopecia areata.

Patients and Methods: The comparative study of the intervention included fifty patients clinically diagnosed with AA and confirmed through dermoscopy. These patients were split into two groups. Group I (25 patients) underwent treatment with N-acetyl cysteine combined with microneedling (NAC-MN), and Group II (25 patients) underwent treatment with microneedling (MN). The patients were assessed utilizing the Severity of Alopecia Tool Score (SALT), the Hair Regrowth Scale (RGS), and dermoscopic evaluation.

Results: The SALT score became statistically significantly lower after treatment compared to before treatment in Group I (NAC-MN) (P value < 0.001) than in Group II (MN) (P value < 0.035). Group I (n=15), which had 60% hair regrowth, had a statistically significantly higher Hair Regrowth Score (RGS 5) compared to group II (n=5), which had 20% regrowth (P value <0.001).

Conclusion: N-acetyl cysteine may be considered an efficacious treatment for alopecia areata when used with microneedling as an adjunctive method for transepidermal delivery of active compounds. Minimal to no adverse effects were noted following microneedling in conjunction with NAC or microneedling independently. Further research is required on a large group of individuals with alopecia areata utilizing N-acetylcysteine as a topical therapy modality.

Keywords: Alopecia areata; microneedling; N-acetyl cysteine

Biography:

Dr. Eman Mohamed Hassan, MBBS, MSc, MD, is an Assistant Professor of Dermatology, Venereology, and Andrology at the Faculty of Medicine, Benha University, Egypt. She earned her MBBS (1997), MSc (2003), and MD in Dermatology (2009) and has extensive experience diagnosing and managing a wide range of dermatological disorders. Her main areas of interest include clinical dermatology, trichology, and dermoscopy, with a particular focus on improving the diagnosis and management of hair and skin diseases through clinical research and advanced diagnostic techniques. Dr. Hassan is an active researcher and has contributed to scientific studies in dermatology.