The Role of Laser and Energy-Assisted Drug Delivery in the Treatment of Alopecia

February 2024 in “ Lasers in Medical Science ”

Eliza Balazic, Ahava Muskat, Yana Kost, Joel L. Cohen, Kseniya Kobets

laser and energy-assisted drug delivery alopecia areata androgenetic alopecia pattern hair loss ablative fractional lasers topical corticosteroids minoxidil non-ablative lasers radiofrequency microneedling microneedling LEADD AA AGA PHL AFL NAFL RFNM

TLDR Lasers and energy-assisted methods show promise for treating hair loss, but more research is needed.

The review evaluates the use of laser and energy-assisted drug delivery (LEADD) in treating alopecia, specifically alopecia areata (AA) and androgenetic alopecia (AGA)/pattern hair loss (PHL). The strongest evidence for LEADD in alopecia treatment involves the use of ablative fractional lasers (AFL) with topical corticosteroids. Minoxidil, combined with all devices (AFL, non-ablative lasers (NAFL), and radiofrequency microneedling (RFNM)), showed a positive effect. However, the superiority of LEADD over monotherapy or microneedling is not consistently proven. All studies showed improvement in alopecia, suggesting that laser monotherapy could be an effective treatment for hair growth. The review concludes that LEADD is a rapidly emerging treatment modality for AGA and AA, but larger, well-designed studies are needed for more definitive conclusions.

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Research cited in this study

research Transepidermal Delivery of Triamcinolone Acetonide or Platelet Rich Plasma Using Either Fractional Carbon Dioxide Laser or Microneedling in Treatment of Alopecia Areata

research Comparative Study Between Topical Application of Triamcinolone Acetonide After Fractional Carbon Dioxide Laser Versus Microneedling in the Treatment of Resistant Alopecia Areata

research Evaluating the Efficacy of Platelet Rich Plasma and 1550 nm Fractional Laser in Combination and Alone for the Management of Androgenetic Alopecia

research Evaluation of Fractional Carbon Dioxide Laser Alone Versus Its Combination With Betamethasone Valerate in Treatment of Alopecia Areata: A Clinical and Dermoscopic Study

research A Study to Assess the Efficacy of Fractional Carbon Dioxide Laser with Topical Platelet-Rich Plasma in the Treatment of Androgenetic Alopecia

research Successful Response to a Combination of Intralesional Methotrexate and Fractional CO2 Laser in Refractory Alopecia Areata: Case Report

research Non-Ablative Er:YAG Laser Is an Effective Tool in the Treatment Arsenal of Androgenetic Alopecia

research The Effect of Conditioned Media From Human Adipocyte-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells on Androgenetic Alopecia After Nonablative Fractional Laser Treatment

research Treatment of Alopecia Areata with Nonablative Fractional Laser Combined with Topical Minoxidil

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research A Pilot Split-Scalp Study of Combined Fractional Radiofrequency Microneedling and 5% Topical Minoxidil in Treating Male Pattern Hair Loss

research Therapeutic Efficacy and Safety of a 1927-nm Fractionated Thulium Laser on Pattern Hair Loss: An Evaluator-Blinded, Split-Scalp Study

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