Thulium laser-assisted delivery of growth factors for treating androgenetic alopecia - a randomized, controlled, clinical study.
Lynhda Nguyen, Stefan W Schneider, Katharina Herberger
✦ AI-curated · Sources linked
In 30 seconds
This pilot randomized controlled study evaluated non-ablative fractional laser (NAFL)-assisted delivery of a biomimetic growth factor serum, with or without red light therapy, in patients with androgenetic alopecia. Participants received serum plus red light, serum alone, or NAFL plus red light without serum. Hair density increased in all groups, with larger gains in the serum groups: 25.6 ± 7.0 % with triple therapy and 22.7 ± 3.4 % with dual therapy, versus 4.9 ± 9.2 % with the device-only regimen. Hair thickness improved in both serum groups, and no severe adverse events occurred.
Key findings
- Hair density increased by 25.6 ± 7.0 % with serum plus red light and 22.7 ± 3.4 % with serum alone, versus 4.9 ± 9.2 % with NAFL plus red light without serum.
- Hair thickness improved in both serum groups but not in the device-only group.
- Clinical outcomes were similar between the two serum regimens, although satisfaction was higher with triple therapy.
- No severe adverse events occurred.
Why it matters
The findings suggest that laser-assisted delivery of biomimetic growth factor serum may contribute to improvements in hair density and thickness in androgenetic alopecia. The similar clinical outcomes with and without red light indicate that the serum-containing approaches warrant further evaluation, while the pilot nature of the evidence calls for cautious interpretation.
What to keep in mind
This was a pilot study; the abstract does not report sample size or follow-up duration.