Dermatography as a new treatment for alopecia areata of the eyebrows.
BACKGROUND
Alopecia areata is considered to be an autoimmune disease. It consists of patchy hair loss of the scalp and the eyebrows, making it a disfiguring condition. This 10-year study was designed to assess the usefulness of the treatment of the eyebrows with dermatography as a relatively quick and simple method to obtain a cosmetically satisfactory result.


METHODS
The eyebrow areas were covered with a halftone pattern of tiny dots of color pigments, using a Van der Velden Derma-injector, without anesthesia. On average, two to three dermatography sessions of 1 h were required. The follow-up was 4 years.


RESULTS
Thirty three patients, most of whom had been previously treated with a sensitizer such as dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB), were treated with dermatography. Four patients had also been treated by a beautician with a crude form of tattooing. The results in 30 patients were excellent. In three patients the results were good.


CONCLUSIONS
Dermatography is a technique offering a good alternative for time-consuming, troublesome treatment modalities that often have considerable side-effects. With dermatography, no side-effects were found.
van der Velden
E M
EM
Department of Dermato-Venereology, Academic Hospital Rotterdam-Dijkzigt, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Drost
B H
BH
Ijsselmuiden
O E
OE
Baruchin
A M
AM
Hulsebosch
H J
HJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000506:Alopecia Areata / Q000628:therapy*; D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000628:therapy*; D005138:Eyebrows; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006201:Hair Diseases / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013653:Tattooing; D016896:Treatment Outcome