Photobiomodulation and alopecia: a crowdsourced survey study on patient preferences.

Photobiomodulation is a treatment option for hair loss and is currently FDA cleared for androgenetic alopecia. There are a variety of photobiomodulation devices intended for at-home patient use. However, data examining user preferences is lacking. A social media-based, online survey study was completed to understand patient preferences when selecting a photobiomodulation device. Secondary outcomes examined patient experience with the device. Sixty participants responded to the 21-question survey. The majority of participants had never used a photobiomodulation device (n = 50; 86.2%). Most respondents (n = 40; 67.8%) felt the efficacy of the device was the most important aspect to consider when selecting a photobiomodulation device. Additionally, a majority of participants thought 15 (n = 22; 37.3%) or 20 minutes (n = 17; 28.8%) would be a reasonable treatment duration and would prefer a hand-free device (n = 51; 86.4%). Of the eight participants who had used a photobiomodulation device, only one was dissatisfied with the device and discontinued treatment.

Photobiomodulation therapy for androgenetic alopecia: A clinician's guide to home-use devices cleared by the Federal Drug Administration.

The market for home-use photobiomodulation devices to treat androgenetic alopecia has rapidly expanded, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently cleared many devices for this purpose. Patients increasingly seek the advice of dermatologists regarding the safety and efficacy of these hair loss treatments. The purpose of this guide was threefold: (1) to identify all home-use photobiomodulation therapy devices with FDA-clearance for treatment of androgenetic alopecia; (2) to review device design, features and existing clinical evidence; and (3) to discuss practical considerations of photobiomodulation therapy, including patient suitability, treatment goals, safety, and device selection. A search of the FDA 510(k) Premarket Notification database was conducted using product code "OAP" to identify all home-use devices that are FDA-cleared to treat androgenetic alopecia. Thirteen commercially available devices were identified and compared. Devices varied in shape, wavelength, light sources, technical features, price, and level of clinical evidence. To date, there are no head-to-head studies comparing the efficacy of these devices. Photobiomodulation therapy devices have an excellent safety profile and mounting evidence supporting their efficacy. However, long-term, high quality studies comparing these devices in diverse populations are lacking. As these devices become increasingly popular, dermatologists should be familiar with this treatment modality to add to their therapeutic armamentarium. ABBREVIATIONS: AGA, androgenetic alopecia; FDA, Food and Drug Administration; IEC, International Electrotechnical Commission; LED, light-emitting diode; PBMT, photobiomodulation therapy.