Investigators have found that cryotherapy may be safe and effective at reducing relapse in patients with alopecia areata compared with standard therapy, according to a report from Healio. In a new literature review published by Kaiser et al in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, investigators analyzed the outcomes of eight studies involving patients with alopecia areata who received cryotherapy, intralesional corticosteroid injections, or topical steroids. Although they found no statistically significant differences in the efficacy of the three treatment options, the investigators noted that cryotherapy was capable of lowering relapse rates as well as adverse events in this patient population. The investigators reported that more studies may be needed to recommend a definitive treatment protocol; however, evidence from some of the studies suggested that a minimum of four treatments that involved one freeze-thaw cycle with a freezing time of at least 8 seconds led to the most positive outcomes. “The low cost and ease of availability of cryotherapy makes a strong case for further investigations for its use as part of the routine therapeutic armamentarium for [patients with alopecia areata],” the investigators concluded.