Efficacy of Photobiomodulation Therapy for the Off-Label Treatment of Alopecia in Skin Types V-VI

    May 2021 in “ Journal of Investigative Dermatology ”
    S. Pratapaneni, Meyeneobong Inyang, Ora Raymond, Javed A. Shaik, Gretchen Bellefeuille, Maria Hordinsky, Ronda S. Farah
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    TLDR Photobiomodulation therapy may help treat hair loss in people with darker skin, but more research is needed.
    The study explored the effectiveness of photobiomodulation (PBM) therapy for treating androgenetic alopecia (AGA) in individuals with darker skin (Fitzpatrick Skin Types V-VI). It involved five participants (ages 34-68) who used one of four PBM devices. Assessments were made using global photographs and hair loss scales. Results indicated that two participants with AGA showed improvement, one AGA case remained stable, and two cases of central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia (CCCA) improved. No adverse effects were reported. The study's small sample size (five subjects) limits the strength of its conclusions, necessitating further research to validate PBM therapy's efficacy for hair loss in darker skin types.
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