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Comparison of low-level light therapy and combination therapy of 5% minoxidil in the treatment of female pattern hair loss

Lasers in Medical Science volume 36, pages 1085–1093 (2021)Cite this article

Abstract

This study was conducted in order to compare the safety and efficacy of LLLT, 5% minoxidil, and combination therapy in the treatment of FPHL. A randomized controlled trial was developed to study the effect of LLLT on FPHL using a device called iHelmet®, which is equipped with 200 5mW laser diode source (650 nm) arrays. Ninety Ludwig’s types II–III FPHL patients were randomly divided into 3 groups: LLLT group (A), 5% minoxidil group (B), and combination group(C). Hair density, hair diameter, and scalp oil-secretion were detected to evaluate the treatment effect. Significant improvement of hair density and hair diameter was observed in all stages of FPHL after treatment. Oil-secretion of the three groups was decreased after treatment. The effectiveness of reducing oil-secretion in LLLT group and combination group was higher than minoxidil group (P < 0.05). For improving hair diameter and hair density, combination group was better than LLLT and minoxidil groups. No side effects were reported. Our study illustrated that LLLT is a safe and effective treatment for FPHL. Besides, LLLT can significantly improve its efficacy when used in combination with 5% minoxidil.

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Funding

This study was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 81772104, No. 81701929), the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province (Grant No. 2017A030310120), and Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation (Grant No. 2019A1515012170).

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Author notes

  1. Yang Liu and Lin-lang Jiang contributed equally to this work and should be considered co-first authors.

  2. Yong Miao and Zhi-qi Hu contributed equally to this work and should be considered co-corresponding authors.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery, Nan Fang Hospital of Southern Medical University, 1838 North Guangzhou AV, Guangzhou, 510515, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China

    Yang Liu, Fang Liu, Qian Qu, Zhe-xiang Fan, Zhi Guo, Yong Miao & Zhi-qi Hu

  2. Affiliated Hospital of Xiangnan University, Chenzhou, 423099, Hunan Province, People’s Republic of China

    Lin-lang Jiang

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  1. Yang Liu
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  3. Fang Liu
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Correspondence to Yong Miao or Zhi-qi Hu.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethics approval

This study was reviewed and approved by the research ethics board at Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China. All contents were adhered to the tenets of the Declaration of Helsinki.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study, as all patients provided the written informed consents before participating.

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Liu, Y., Jiang, Ll., Liu, F. et al. Comparison of low-level light therapy and combination therapy of 5% minoxidil in the treatment of female pattern hair loss. Lasers Med Sci 36, 1085–1093 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10103-020-03157-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10103-020-03157-1

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