A Pilot Evaluation of Scalp Skin Wounding to Promote Hair Growth in Female Pattern Hair Loss

This pilot study investigated the use of scalp micro-wounding to promote hair growth in female pattern hair loss (FPHL). Eleven females with mild to moderate FPHL who had plateaued on stable FPHL treatment for 6 or more months were enrolled in this interventional pilot study. Patients underwent 6 treatments, over the course of 3 months, with the Follica Hair Follicle Neogenesis (HFN) Device, Boston, MA, USA, a proprietary, powered microneedling device. Topical minoxidil 5% foam was applied nightly to these areas for the duration of the trial. The study found that skin disruption with the Follica HFN Device improved physician-reported Sinclair scores by at least 1 integer over the course of 4 months. All but one patient reported self-perceived improvement in hair coverage when comparing baseline and end-of-study global scalp photographs.