Evaluation of Topical Capislow Extract and Long Pulsed Nd-YAG Laser in the Treatment of Idiopathic Hirsutism

Introduction: Hirsutism is a condition that affects 10% of women worldwide. In many cultures, hirsutism is regarded as loss of femininity and can be psychologically traumatizing to the suffering females. The aim of the present study was to evaluate how topical capislow would affect or enhance the efficacy of laser hair removal.Methods: A randomized, monoblinded, placebo controlled split face study of combined topical capislow and long pulsed Nd-YAG laser on one side of the face versus long pulsed Nd-YAG laser alone on the opposite side of the face. Laser sessions were done at 4 weeks interval for maximum seven sessions. Topical capislow and placebo were applied once daily from the day of the first laser session to the day of the last laser session. Patients were evaluated both subjectively and objectively in each laser session and for six months after the last laser session.Results: Both treatment modalities were well tolerated and accepted with significantly better results in combined capislow and laser group versus laser alone.Conclusion: Topical capislow can represent a safe and effective synergistic method for laser with faster results but this is a temporary effect retained only to the time of its application

Handling keloid and hypertrophic scars by long-pulsed Nd: YAG laser: Evaluating effectiveness

Background and objectives: Keloids and HTs appear to have an abundant healing response that sets a challenge for physicians. Patients and methods: Patients with keloids and HTs were handled by a long-pulsed 1064 nm Nd: YAG laser every 4 weeks for five sessions. The number of patients was twenty. The scars were rated by VSS, consisting of 4 ingredients: vascularity, pigmentation, pliability, and height. Moreover, histopathological assessment by hematoxylin and eosin stain and Masson trichrome stain. After 6 months of finishing the treatment, the lesion was estimated to evaluate the recurrence rate. Results: According to VSS, there was a considerable improvement in vascularity, pigmentation, pliability, and height after the treatment than before the treatment. The score of the scar assessment dropped off from 9.40 to 3.75 after treatment. Hematoxylin and eosin staining and Elastica Masson-Goldner staining appeared to change the structure of the tissue collagen. Collagen bundles lost their whirl structure, and the thickness of the collagen layer decreased. The Wall of blood vessels was thinner, and the number of blood vessels was decreased. Conclusion: The treatment of keloids and HTs showed great results with a long-pulsed Nd-YAG laser

Evaluation of Five Medicinal Plant Extracts on Aphis craccivora (Hemiptera: Aphididae) and Its Predator, Chrysoperla carnea (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) under Laboratory Conditions

Botanical insecticides that degrade rapidly are safer than persistent synthetic chemical insecticides, less harmful to the environment, decrease production costs and are not likely to cause insecticide resistance among pests. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of five different botanical extracts on the bean aphid, Aphis craccivora and the 2nd larval instar of the green lacewing, Chrysoperla carnea under laboratory conditions. Also, the flavonoids in the methanolic extracts of these tested plants were detected using HPLC analysis. The data from the HPLC analysis indicated that the tested plants differed in their flavonoid components. The total flavonoids were 869.4, 1125.6, 721.4, 1667.8 and 2025.9 mg/kg in Psiadia penninervia, Salvia officinalis, Ochradenus baccatus, Pulicaria crispa and Euryops arabicus, respectively. Moreover, there were many variations among these plants in the amount of each compound. The lethal concentration (LC50) value of P. penninervia extract on aphids was the lowest among all of the plants (128.546 µg/mL) followed by O. baccatus (626.461 µg/mL). Also, the LC50 value of P. penninervia extract on the 2nd larval instar of C. carnea (232.095 µg/mL) was significantly lower than those of all other four plant species extracts, while the other four plants did not show significant differences among them according to relative median potency analyses. Accordingly, O. baccatus extract had a strong effect on aphids and was safest for the predator. This finding suggests that O. baccatus could be exploited and further developed as an effective plant extract-based insecticide to be utilized in integrated pest management (IPM) programs against A. craccivora

Comparative Study Between the efficacy of LongPulsed Neodymium- YAG Laser and Fractional Co2 Laser in the Treatment of Striae Distensae: Nd: YAG Laser and Fractional CO2 Laser for Striae Distensae

Introduction: Stretch marks, or striae distensae (SD), are the lesions of the dermis caused by its linear atrophy at the sites of stretching. They occur in more than 70% of pregnant women and adolescents as a result of cutaneous stretching. This study aimed at evaluating and comparing the clinical and histological efficacy of the fractional CO2 laser versus the long-pulsed (LP) Nd: YAG laser in the treatment of striae alba.Methods: Thirty female subjects having bilateral symmetrical stretch marks were managed by the LP Nd: YAG laser on the right side and the fractional CO2 laser on the left side. The laser treatment course consisted of 3 sessions with an interval of 3 weeks. The patient satisfaction score and the Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale (GAIS) were employed in the study in order to assess the improvement 3 months after therapy. Punch biopsies measuring 4 mm were extracted from one lesion on each side at baseline and after the last treatment session by 3 months to evaluate the thickness of both collagen and epidermisResults: Clinical improvement was more significant in the lesions treated with the LP Nd: YAG laser than those treated with the fractional CO2 laser. The patient satisfaction score and the GAIS were higher with a statistically significant value in the side treated by the LP Nd: YAG laser. Collagen and epidermal thickness increased more in the LP Nd: YAG laser-treated lesions in comparison to their thickness in the fractional CO2 laser-managed lesions, but this difference did not have a statistical significance.Conclusion: The clinical efficacy of the LP Nd-YAG laser exceeded that of the fractional CO2 laser in the treatment of striae alba without severe side effects in spite of the insignificant histological difference between the two lasers. DOI: 10.34172/jlms.2021.5

Trichogenic effect of low level laser therapy combined with platelet-rich plasma for the management of androgenetic alopecia

Background: (AGA) is a very common hair disorder in men, Topical minoxidil and more recently low-level light therapy and Platelet-rich plasma therapy have been used in the management of (AGA). Objectives: To assess the Trichogenic effect of LLLT combined with PRP in the management of AGA. Patients and methods: Forty seven patients with AGAwere subjected to PRP therapy plus LLLT, affected area of all patients were treated for three months and then follow up for another three months. Efficacy was evaluated using global photography, folliscopic pictures analysis, answers for standardized hair growth questions and score of patient Gratification. Results: There was statistically significant improvement in diameter, vellus hair, terminal hair and density after treatment for three months although these improvements were decreased at three month after stoppage of treatment but still better than the baseline. Conclusion combination of LLLT with PRP could be a good treatment modality of AGA

Effect of fractional carbon dioxide (CO2) laser on improving minoxidil delivery for treatment of androgenetic alopecia

Introduction: Recently, laser treatment for hair loss has become very popular. Laser-assisted drug delivery (LAD) is an evolving technology with potentially broad clinical applications. This work aims at inspecting the effect of the fractional carbon dioxide laser (CO2) on improving the delivery of minoxidil in patients with androgenetic alopecia and detecting the role of the fractional CO2 laser in its treatment.Methods: We enrolled 45 Egyptians with male androgenetic alopecia (MAGA); clinical grading was assessed based on Norwood-Hamilton classification. The patients were divided into 3 groups: the first group (combined group) received the fractional CO2 laser session followed by topical application of minoxidil and also in between sessions; the second group received fractional CO2 laser sessions only and 6 sessions with 2-week intervals were performed; the third group applied topical minoxidil only for 3 months. Global photographs and dermoscopic assessments were performed before treatment and 3 months after the treatment.Results: Several dermoscopic findings were detected, including peripilar sign, hair diversity, yellow spot, white dots, and arborizing red lines. The number of double hair units significantly increased after the treatment in the combined group. The mean number of hair after the treatment in the 3 groups significantly increased, mostly in the combined group. The hair thickness (thin & thick) significantly increased after the treatment in the combined group and the fractional group; however, in the minoxidil group, only thin hair thickness increased. In all the 3 groups, there was a significant improvement in hair count and thickness.Conclusion: The ablative fractional CO2 laser alone or combined with minoxidil may serve as an additional treatment for MAGA