AN OPEN, SINGLE-ARM, SINGLE-CENTRIC CLINICAL TRIAL TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SEENTHIL CHOORANAM (INTERNAL) AND PANCHA RATHINA KALIMBU (EXTERNAL) IN THE MANAGEMENT OF PUZHUVETTU (ALOPECIA AREATA)

Background: Alopecia areata is a chronic autoimmune disorder causing patchy, non-scarring hair loss, which is compared to Puzhuvettu in the Siddha system of medicine. Conventional treatments have limited effectiveness and may cause side effects. This clinical trial evaluates the efficacy of Seenthil chooranam (internal) and Pancha rathina kalimbu (external) using the Severity of Alopecia Tool Score (SALT SCORE) and Beck’s Depression Inventory to assess hair regrowth and emotional well-being. Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of Seenthil chooranam and Pancha rathina kalimbu in managing Puzhuvettu (Alopecia areata) using SALT Score and Beck’s Depression Inventory to assess clinical improvement and quality of life. Materials And Methods: This clinical trial was conducted at the National Institute of Siddha and involved 10 patients with Alopecia areata, aged between 13 and 50 years. The study was approved by the Institutional Research Review Board (IRRB) and the Institutional Ethical Committee (IEC No: NIS/24/IEC/2023/MP/39), and it was registered with the Clinical Trial Registry of India (CTRI REF/2023/08/071904). The enrolled patients received Seenthil chooranam and Pancha rathina kalimbu for 48 days. The final clinical trial outcomes were generated using the Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Test for both qualitative and quantitative data. Results: Based on the SALT Score, 30% showed slight, 50% moderate, and 20% significant hair regrowth. Depression levels improved in all patients, with 50% reaching normal mood, 30% mild disturbance, and 20% borderline depression. The results showed a significant improvement in both SALT and Beck scores (p