Hair Growth Booster Effects of Micro-Needling with Low-Level Led Therapy and Growth Factors on Subjects Treated with Finasteride

• Published in: Applied sciences Vol. 12; no. 18; p. 9164
• Main Authors: Gentile, Pietro, Ki, Mun-Sang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 01.09.2022
• Subjects: Alopecia; Asian people; Baldness; College professors; FDA approval; finasteride and micro-needling; Growth factors; hair growth; hair growth finasteride; Hair loss; low-level LED therapy; Males; microneedling in hair growth; Patients; Phase transitions; Polypeptides; regenerative plastic surgery; Stem cells; White people; Rome Italy; Italy
• ISSN: 2076-3417; 2076-3417
• DOI: 10.3390/app12189164

A procedure based on Microneedling (MND) with Low-Level Led Therapy (LLLT) and Growth Factors (GFs) could be a booster for hair re-growth (HRG) in patients assuming Finasteride®. The study examined the clinical outcomes of a multicentric, observational, retrospective, case-series investigation in which MND with LLLT and GFs was applied to patients suffering from androgenic alopecia (AGA) who were prescribed Finasteride®. Twenty-one patients were initially enrolled, of which seventeen males were classified in stage II–VI by the Norwood–Hamilton scale, and four females were classified in stage II–III by the Ludwig scale. One male patient was excluded after screening (exclusion and inclusion criteria evaluation). Twenty patients were analyzed, of which ten patients’ hair growth has stalled after taking Finasteride®, and ten patients did not achieve good results from Finasteride®. HRG assessment was evaluated with photography, physician’s, and patient’s global assessment scale, in addition to standardized phototrichograms during a short follow-up: T0—baseline, T1—20 weeks (wks). A statistically significant improvement in HRG (p = 0.0822) and an increase in hair density of 19 ± 2 hairs/cm2 at T1 after 20 wks (20 wks vs. 0 wks) in the targeted area over baseline (74 ± 2 hairs/cm2 at T1 versus 55 ± 2 hairs/cm2 at baseline) were reported and described as encouraging results. The effectiveness of MND with LLLT and GFs use was demonstrated in patients whose hair growth stalled after taking Finasteride® and in patients who did not achieve good results from Finasteride®.