A Pilot Study Evaluating the Safety and Efficacy of a 1470nm Laser for the Treatment of Androgenetic Alopecia and Scarring Alopecia

Single-center, open-label, baseline-controlled, pilot study evaluating the use of a Nonablative 1470 nm laser for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia and scarring alopecia. The study may enroll up to 10 participants looking for improvement in their hair loss. All participants will have biopsy-proven alopecia before enrollment. There will be two treatment arms with 5 participants in the androgenetic alopecia arm and 5 participants in the scarring alopecia arm. Multiple treatment areas of the scalp may be performed. Each subject will receive up to three treatments. Follow-up visits are planned for months 6, 9, 12, and 15. Standardized photography, hair density measurement of the treated scalp areas will be recorded Pre and Post Treatment at each visit. Measurement outcomes will be compared to baseline. During the initial visit, subjects who meet the study's eligibility criteria will receive the first treatment after signing informed consent form. For this study, the investigators will use non-ablative HALO laser (1470nm) (Sciton). The non-ablative fractionated treatments with minimal downtime provide synergistic benefit of minimizing tissue damage while improving treatment tolerance and efficiency. The laser works by creating micro-channels in the dermis of the pilosebaceous unit, while leaving bridges of untouched tissue for improved permeability, faster healing, and enhanced delivery of topical treatments. The laser creates controlled zones of coagulation within the dermis. The parameters of the laser will be set according to optimal operation protocol and in accordance with guidelines set forth by Sciton. Each laser treatment will take approximately 10 to 15 minutes per subject. Pretreatment procedure will consist of topical anesthetic then cleaning of the affected area of the scalp with antiseptic, either 70% ethanol or 3% hydrogen peroxide. Post-treatment care will follow standard of care, including the application of topical betamethasone dipropionate cream 0.05% to the treated area. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared the 1470 nm laser for dermatologic purposes. This study will use the laser off-label for the treatment of alopecia. This laser has been approved for the treatment of skin, however, it has not been tested for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia or scarring alopecia, thus this is a novel study to investigate its effectiveness The follow up phase will consist of clinical assessments including before and after photographs graded by blinded observers and hair density evaluation using Canfield HairMetrix ® device. Subjects are instructed to inform clinical staff after the treatment if they experience any adverse events and will complete patient questionnaires, pain score, and self-assessment of hair growth.