Abstract
Purpose: Pattern hair loss is the most common type of alopecia. Standard of care involves long-term use of topical medications with limited effectiveness. Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) has become a popular alternative treatment. Here, we examine published clinical trials to establish whether the breadth of evidence supports LLLT for pattern hair loss. Methods: A literature search was conducted within the PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Cochrane Trials databases to identify original articles evaluating hair regrowth following LLLT. Articles were selected based on use of 600–1,100 nm wavelengths, treatment time ≥16 weeks, and objective evaluation for hair regrowth. Results: Ten randomized controlled trials were included, of which 8 compared LLLT to sham device and 1 to no treatment. The study populations varied, with 3 studies evaluating only women. All sham-device controlled studies demonstrated statistically significant increase in hair diameter or density (p < 0.01) following LLLT. Discussion: Based on our review of the literature, LLLT appears to be effective for treating pattern hair loss in both men and women. These laser devices have good safety profiles, with only minor adverse effects reported. However, physicians should be cautious when drawing conclusions as some studies included have a relationship with industry.
References
1.
Otberg
N
, Finner
AM
, Shapiro
J
. Androgenetic alopecia
. Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am
. 2007 Jun
;36
(2
):379
–98
. 2.
Gan
DC
, Sinclair
RD
. Prevalence of male and female pattern hair loss in Maryborough
. J Investig Dermatol Symp Proc
. 2005 Dec
;10
(3
):184
–9
. 3.
Wells
PA
, Willmoth
T
, Russell
RJ
. Does fortune favour the bald? Psychological correlates of hair loss in males
. Br J Psychol
. 1995 Aug
;86
(Pt 3
):337
–44
. 4.
Cash
TF
. The psychosocial consequences of androgenetic alopecia: a review of the research literature
. Br J Dermatol
. 1999 Sep
;141
(3
):398
–405
. 5.
Williamson
D
, Gonzalez
M
, Finlay
AY
. The effect of hair loss on quality of life
. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol
. 2001 Mar
;15
(2
):137
–9
. 6.
Cash
TF
. The psychological effects of androgenetic alopecia in men
. J Am Acad Dermatol
. 1992 Jun
;26
(6
):926
–31
. 7.
Cash
TF
, Price
VH
, Savin
RC
. Psychological effects of androgenetic alopecia on women: comparisons with balding men and with female control subjects
. J Am Acad Dermatol
. 1993 Oct
;29
(4
):568
–75
. 8.
Jahoda
CA
, Horne
KA
, Oliver
RF
. Induction of hair growth by implantation of cultured dermal papilla cells
. Nature
. 1984 Oct 11–17
;311
(5986
):560
–2
. 9.
Avci
P
, Gupta
GK
, Clark
J
, Wikonkal
N
, Hamblin
MR
. Low-level laser (light) therapy (LLLT) for treatment of hair loss
. Lasers Surg Med
. 2014 Feb
;46
(2
):144
–51
. 10.
Rogers
NE
, Avram
MR
. Medical treatments for male and female pattern hair loss
. J Am Acad Dermatol
. 2008 Oct
;59
(4
):547
–8
. 11.
Xu
D
, Wang
L
, Dai
W
, Lu
L
. A requirement for K+-channel activity in growth factor-mediated extracellular signal-regulated kinase activation in human myeloblastic leukemia ML-1 cells
. Blood
. 1999 Jul 1
;94
(1
):139
–45
. 12.
Shorter
K
, Farjo
NP
, Picksley
SM
, Randall
VA
. Human hair follicles contain two forms of ATP-sensitive potassium channels, only one of which is sensitive to minoxidil
. FASEB J
. 2008 Jun
;22
(6
):1725
–36
. 13.
Adil
A
, Godwin
M
. The effectiveness of treatments for androgenetic alopecia: a systematic review and meta-analysis
. J Am Acad Dermatol
. 2017 Jul
;77
(1
):136
–141.e5
. 14.
Dodd
EM
, Winter
MA
, Hordinsky
MK
, Sadick
NS
, Farah
RS
. Photobiomodulation therapy for androgenetic alopecia: a clinician’s guide to home-use devices cleared by the Federal Drug Administration
. J Cosmet Laser Ther
. 2018 Jun
;20
(3
):159
–67
. 15.
Wikramanayake
TC
, Rodriguez
R
, Choudhary
S
, Mauro
LM
, Nouri
K
, Schachner
LA
, et al. Effects of the Lexington LaserComb on hair regrowth in the C3H/HeJ mouse model of alopecia areata
. Lasers Med Sci
. 2012 Mar
;27
(2
):431
–6
. 16.
Kalia
S
, Lui
H
. Utilizing electromagnetic radiation for hair growth: a critical review of phototrichogenesis
. Dermatol Clin
. 2013 Jan
;31
(1
):193
–200
. 17.
Jimenez
JJ
, Wikramanayake
TC
, Bergfeld
W
, Hordinsky
M
, Hickman
JG
, Hamblin
MR
, et al. Efficacy and safety of a low-level laser device in the treatment of male and female pattern hair loss: a multicenter, randomized, sham device-controlled, double-blind study
. Am J Clin Dermatol
. 2014 Apr
;15
(2
):115
–27
. 18.
Leavitt
M
, Charles
G
, Heyman
E
, Michaels
D
. HairMax LaserComb laser phototherapy device in the treatment of male androgenetic alopecia: a randomized, double-blind, sham device-controlled, multicentre trial
. Clin Drug Investig
. 2009
;29
(5
):283
–92
. 19.
Kim
H
, Choi
JW
, Kim
JY
, Shin
JW
, Lee
SJ
, Huh
CH
. Low-level light therapy for androgenetic alopecia: a 24-week, randomized, double-blind, sham device-controlled multicenter trial
. Dermatol Surg
. 2013 Aug
;39
(8
):1177
–83
. 20.
Lanzafame
RJ
, Blanche
RR
, Bodian
AB
, Chiacchierini
RP
, Fernandez-Obregon
A
, Kazmirek
ER
. The growth of human scalp hair mediated by visible red light laser and LED sources in males
. Lasers Surg Med
. 2013 Oct
;45
(8
):487
–95
. 21.
Lanzafame
RJ
, Blanche
RR
, Chiacchierini
RP
, Kazmirek
ER
, Sklar
JA
. The growth of human scalp hair in females using visible red light laser and LED sources
. Lasers Surg Med
. 2014 Oct
;46
(8
):601
–7
. 22.
Friedman
S
, Schnoor
P
. Novel approach to treating androgenetic alopecia in females With photobiomodulation (low-level laser therapy)
. Dermatol Surg
. 2017 Jun
;43
(6
):856
–67
. 23.
Barikbin
B
, Khodamrdi
Z
, Kholoosi
L
, Akhgri
MR
, Haj Abbasi
M
, Hajabbasi
M
, et al. Comparison of the effects of 665 nm low level diode Laser Hat versus and a combination of 665 nm and 808 nm low level diode Laser Scanner of hair growth in androgenic alopecia
. J Cosmet Laser Ther
. 2017 [Online ahead of print]
. 24.
Mai-Yi Fan
S
, Cheng
YP
, Lee
MY
, Lin
SJ
, Chiu
HY
. Efficacy and safety of a low-level light therapy for androgenetic alopecia: a 24-week, randomized, double-blind, self-comparison, sham device-controlled trial
. Dermatol Surg
. 2018 Nov
;44
(11
):1411
–20
. 25.
Esmat
SM
, Hegazy
RA
, Gawdat
HI
, Abdel Hay
RM
, Allam
RS
, El Naggar
R
, et al. Low level light-minoxidil 5% combination versus either therapeutic modality alone in management of female patterned hair loss: a randomized controlled study
. Lasers Surg Med
. 2017 Nov
;49
(9
):835
–43
. 26.
Suchonwanit
P
, Chalermroj
N
, Khunkhet
S
. Low-level laser therapy for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia in Thai men and women: a 24-week, randomized, double-blind, sham device-controlled trial
. Lasers Med Sci
. 2019 Aug
;34
(6
):1107
–14
.27.
Saraogi
PP
, Dhurat
RS
. Automated Digital Image Analysis (TrichoScan®) for human hair growth analysis: ease versus errors
. Int J Trichology
. 2010 Jan
;2
(1
):5
–13
. © 2020 S. Karger AG, Basel
2020
Copyright / Drug Dosage / Disclaimer
Copyright: All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be translated into other languages, reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, microcopying, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Drug Dosage: The authors and the publisher have exerted every effort to ensure that drug selection and dosage set forth in this text are in accord with current recommendations and practice at the time of publication. However, in view of ongoing research, changes in government regulations, and the constant flow of information relating to drug therapy and drug reactions, the reader is urged to check the package insert for each drug for any changes in indications and dosage and for added warnings and precautions. This is particularly important when the recommended agent is a new and/or infrequently employed drug.
Disclaimer: The statements, opinions and data contained in this publication are solely those of the individual authors and contributors and not of the publishers and the editor(s). The appearance of advertisements or/and product references in the publication is not a warranty, endorsement, or approval of the products or services advertised or of their effectiveness, quality or safety. The publisher and the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to persons or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content or advertisements.
You do not currently have access to this content.
