Investigator-Blinded, Controlled, and Randomized Comparative Study on 1565 Nm Non-Ablative Fractional Laser Versus 5% Minoxidil for Treatment of Androgenetic Alopecia

January 2024 in “ Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology ”

Huanhuan Qu, Rongli Zhang, Wuyan Xin, Huan Jing, Gang Wang, Lin Gao

1565 nm non-ablative fractional laser 5% minoxidil androgenetic alopecia hair diameter hair density terminal hair hair follicle units adverse events NAFL Rogaine AGA

Studysummary This study reported that the 1565 nm non-ablative fractional laser treatment significantly improved various hair growth indices in patients with androgenetic alopecia compared to 5% minoxidil, demonstrating its superior clinical efficacy and safety for treating this condition. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.

A study involving 30 participants compared the effectiveness of a 1565 nm non-ablative fractional laser (NAFL) and 5% minoxidil in treating androgenetic alopecia (AGA). Both treatments showed significant improvements in hair diameter and density after a 10-week treatment period. However, the NAFL group showed greater improvements in total hair number, total hair density, terminal hair number, terminal hair density, number of hair follicle units, and average hair number/number of hair follicle units compared to the minoxidil group. The satisfaction score of the NAFL group was also significantly higher. Adverse events were mild for the NAFL group and temporary for the minoxidil group. The study suggests that the 1565 nm NAFL could be a safe and effective alternative treatment for AGA, but further controlled clinical trials are needed to better understand the complementary effects of different AGA therapies.

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