The 308-nm XeCl excimer laser has recently been shown to be effective in the treatment of vitiligo. In this prospective study, researchers formed three treatment regimens to determine whether frequency or total number of treatments was most important for effectiveness. They treat fourteen patients of each regimen with at least three distinct vitiligo lesions in the same body area. They applied laser treatment to each regimen once in a week, twice in a week, and three times in a week, for a total of 12 weeks respectively. In the end of this observation they find that, Laser-induced initiation of repigmentation correlated with the total number of treatments, but not with frequency.
The total numbers of treatments effect more, in order to induce repigmentation in vitiligo lesions rather, than treatment frequency to determined overall response. Thus, this larger study with longer treatment courses, has confirmed the effectiveness of this particular therapy for vitiligo.
The repigmentation occurred very soonest in the three-times-weekly treatment regimen. But, unfortunately, side effects were also informed in this regimen.