Thulium laser-assisted delivery of growth factors for treating androgenetic alopecia – a randomized, controlled, clinical study

Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is the most common form of hair loss and can significantly impact quality of life. Emerging non-invasive treatments include laser-assisted delivery of biomimetic growth factor–based serums. The aim of the study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of non-ablative fractional laser (NAFL)–assisted delivery, with or without adjunct red light therapy, in patients with AGA. In this pilot study, patients were randomly assigned to: (I) NAFL-assisted serum delivery plus red light therapy (triple), (II) NAFL-assisted serum delivery alone (dual), or (III) NAFL plus red light therapy without serum (EBD-only). Primary outcomes were hair density and thickness. Secondary outcomes included patient satisfaction, tolerability, and adverse events. Hair density increased in all groups, with greater improvement in the triple (25.6 ± 7.0 %) and dual (22.7 ± 3.4 %) groups compared to EBD-only (4.9 ± 9.2 %). Hair thickness improved in both serum groups but not in the EBD-only group. Clinical outcomes were similar between triple and dual treatments, though satisfaction was higher with triple therapy. No severe adverse events occurred. Preliminary evidence suggests that NAFL-assisted delivery of biomimetic growth factors is a safe and effective non-invasive treatment for AGA.