Hair growth / androgenetic alopecia

HairMax LaserComb randomized sham-controlled trial in male androgenetic alopecia

Leavitt M, Charles G, Heyman E, Michaels D. Clinical Drug Investigation. 2009.

Source

This multicenter double-blind sham-device-controlled trial tested a handheld 655 nm HairMax LaserComb in men with androgenetic alopecia.

Evidence grade

moderate

Effect direction

positive

Panel relevance

not-panel-replicable

Key findings

  • The 110 completers using the active LaserComb had significantly greater mean terminal hair density than sham at 26 weeks.
  • Patient subjective assessment of overall hair regrowth also favored active treatment.
  • The device was well tolerated with no serious adverse events and no statistical difference in adverse effects between groups.

Protocol details

Wavelengths655 nm
IrradianceNot reported mW/cm2
FluenceNot reported J/cm2
Session timeNot reported minutes
FrequencyNot reported
Duration26 weeks
Treatment areaScalp
Device typeHandheld laser comb that parts hair to deliver light to scalp

Caveats

  • This supports scalp-contact or near-scalp comb devices, not distant body panels.
  • The study enrolled males with specific androgenetic alopecia classifications.