Treatment of Perioral Vitiligo with Upper Hair Follicle Transplantation and 308 nm Excimer Laser

The study reports a successful treatment of perioral vitiligo in a 17-year-old male using a combination of upper hair follicle transplantation and a 308 nm excimer laser. Initially, melanocyte transplantation was ineffective. Hair follicles from the retroauricular hairline were transplanted, with the recipient site divided into three regions: A, B, and C. Regions A and B received upper and intact hair follicles, respectively, while region C was untreated initially. After 6 months, regions A and B showed repigmentation, with hair growth only in region B. Region C was later treated with the same combination, resulting in repigmentation without hair growth. This approach leverages hair follicle-associated pluripotent stem cells and melanin precursor cells, activated by the excimer laser, to achieve repigmentation without unwanted hair growth, offering a promising treatment for vitiliginous lesions unresponsive to traditional methods.